To put it lightly, the D-Backs’ offense this year has been a disappointment–a big disappointment. But we all know that it wasn’t just a poor overall team effort that caused all the problems. Instead, there were a few players–not mentioning any names, of course–who could have played a little (okay, a lot) better. So, here is a list of each of the D-Backs’ position players and their grade for the year. Just maybe, this will help us find the culprit(s) who caused the team’s second consecutive .500 season.
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B: A+
.302/.401/.551, 36 HR, 125 RBI, 103 RS, 99 BB, 15 SB
Paul Goldschmidt was all the D-Backs could have ever wanted this year. He is one of about three players in the entire MLB who is worthy of an A+, and ironically, he’s on a .500 team. His offensive prowess and Gold Glove defense dub him worthy of the N.L. MVPÂ award.
A.J. Pollock, CF: B
.269/.322/.409, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 64 RS, 33 BB, 12 SB
With a 14/35 (.400 BA) finish to the year, A.J, Pollock capped a fantastic rookie season. He not only showed a lot of base stealing potential, but also displayed a decent amount of power with 8 homers and 28 doubles. Whenever someone is an above-average player as a rookie, you know that he’s going to be good.
Gerardo Parra, OF: B-
.268/.323/.403, 10 HR, 48 RBI, 79 RS, 48 BB, 10 SB
Gerardo Parra had an excellent year–except in the month of July, in which he hit a bleak .157. Despite this, Parra continued to boast his Gold Glove in the outfield and his top-of-the-order bat that led him to a team-leading 43 doubles. Although his base running, offensive consistency, and performance against left-handed pitchers need to improve, Gerardo Parra has above-average talent and a give-it-everything-even-if-it-means-I-break-a-bone mentality.
Adam Eaton, OF: C+
.252/.314/.360, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 40 RS, 17 BB, 5 SB
Adam Eaton showed signs all year of being an incredible lead off hitter, but never maintained consistency in doing so, certainly in part due to his extended trip to the D.L. Although Eaton was a decent hitter, he has yet to even come close to the potential he displayed in the Minor Leagues.
Martin Prado, Everywhere: B
.282/.314/.360, 14 HR, 82 RBI, 70 RS, 47 BB, 3 SB
There were high expectations for Martin Prado this year–especially since he was the main return for a deal that sent Justin Upton out of the desert. After struggling exponentially in April and June, Martin Prado turned in a pretty solid year, setting a career high in RBI’s and hitting for average as he usually does. Although his base stealing potential was not fully employed (he swiped 17 bases last year with Atlanta, but only 3 this year), Prado’s utility skills helped to heal the wound of Justin Upton’s absence. Unfortunately, however, he didn’t heal it completely.
Cliff Pennington, SS: B-
.242/.310/.309, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 25 RS, 26 BB, 2 SB
Cliff Pennington was about as good as he has been in the past–in another words, he wasn’t all that great. Although his defensive game is phenomenal, his offensive talents helped the team only minimally. When you take into account that he’s a backup shortstop, however, he’s not too shabby.
Aaron Hill, 2B: B
.291/.356/.462, 11 HR, 41 RBI, 45 RS, 29 BB, 1 SB
The offensive contributions that Aaron Hill brings to the team are many. He hits for average, hits for power, walks a lot, and is an excellent defender at second base. If Hill’s 2013 season were not shortened by his broken hand at the beginning of the year, the D-Backs just might be playing baseball right now.
Didi Gregorius, SS: C+
.252/.332/.373, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 47 RS, 37 BB, 0 SB
After an incredible start to the year, Didi Gregorius soon digressed into the offensive player we all thought he was going to be–average, but no more. Although he made some rookie mistakes at shortstop, Gregorius’ defense was as advertised (extremely good). Unfortunately, however, I see little potential for Gregorius ever to be a true offensive threat at the major league level.
Eric Chavez, 3B: B+
.281/.332/.478, 9 HR, 44 RBI, 28 RS, 19 BB, 1 SB
Numerous trips to the D.L. prevented Chavez from reaching beyond 228 at-bats. Fortunately, those 228 at-bats were good ones. Despite being old and out of his prime, the veteran third baseman approximately paralleled if not exceeded his career averages. While healthy, Chavez was that one guy the D-Backs could count on to hit behind Goldy.
Willie Bloomquist, Infield: B
.317/.360/.367, 0 HR, 14 RBI, 16 RS, 8 BB, 0 SB
A long D.L. stint held Willie Bloomquist to just 139 at-bats this year. And while that’s not too impressive, the way he used those at-bats was. A .317 batting average from any 35-year-old is always acceptable.
Wil Nieves, Catcher: A-
.297/.320/.369, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 16 RS, 8 BB, 0 SB
Wil Nieves was one of few bright spots for the D-Backs this year. Who knew that the 36-year-old backup catcher with a career batting average of .242 would hit .297? Nieves’ offensive contributions were very instrumental in making up for Miguel Montero’s struggles. His defensive performance was overall unimpressive, but any time your backup catcher hits for a batting average that is 67 points higher than that of your starter, you know that he’s good (even if the starter is Miguel Montero).
Miguel Montero, Catcher: C-
.230/.318/.344, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 44 RS, 51 BB, 0 SB
Of all the D-Backs’ disappointments this year, Miguel Montero is sadly one of the worst. A .284 hitter averaging 87 RBI’s per year in 2011 and 2012, the D-Backs’ starting catcher posted a very dismal .230 batting average while driving in a meager 42 runs. While Montero’s catching abilities were still pretty decent, his offensive contribution to the team needs to get bigger in 2014. A lot bigger.
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