It’s just a simple projection based on the fact that we’re 1/3 of the way through the season.

Also, the everyday CF should get more AB (or at least more PA) than the RF, as our CF has been batting 2nd or 3rd, while the RF has been batting 4th, 5th, or 6th.

By the way: in the interest of full disclosure, I got the 2008 full-season stats and 2009 current stats from ESPN.com. I then multiplied by 3 to get a full-season projection for 2009.

No one should have predicted Ramirez missing several months. Therefore, the dropoff at 3B would be gone, and the dropoff at 2B would be small (probably less than 75 OPS points). No one should have predicted the dropoff at LF to be so great. And 1B appears to be heading back to minimal dropoff, as Lee appears to have righted the ship after a horrendous April.

The only position in which a big dropoff should/could have been expected was C. And that should have been (and probably will be) offset by the improvement in RF. The offense should have been expected to be slightly worse (worse in CF, 2B, and C, better in RF, and about the same in 1B, SS, 3B, and LF).

I realize that you enjoy being overly pessimistic, but even the most overly pessimistic folks shouldn’t have reasonably predicted this start.

Fortunately, things should get better. We should get better production from 1B, LF and RF, and Ramirez will improve 3B and 2B. That doesn’t mean we’ll get the same production as last year. But it means things should get much better.

as we’ll replace a .576 OPS at 2B with a .700 OPS (or better) from Fontenot and a platoon partner, and replace the .700 OPS from Fontenot at 3B with maybe a .775-.825 OPS from Ramirez (or better). That’s a pretty substantial upgrade.

it gives the team performances by position. We’ve gotten the 12th best production from 1B so far this year, driven largely by DLee’s horrendous April. The middle of the pack is around an .810-.815 OPS, whereas we’ve gotten a .769 OPS. I expect our number to go up some and perhaps jump into the upper half.

By position in terms of OPS rank:
14th at C
12th at 1B
tied for last at 2B
3rd at SS
8th at 3B
8th in LF
2nd in CF
7th in RF

so Fontenot’s numbers when he was playing 2B are included in the 2B calculation, and his numbers when he was playing 3B are included in the 3B calculation.

So the totals for 2B include AB by Fontenot, Miles, Scales, Blanco, and Freel. The totals for 3B include AB by Ramirez, Fontenot, Scales, Fox, and Freel. And so on.

Here goes:

Starters:
2009: 3.79 ERA, 984 IP, 873 K, 345 BB, .242/.309/.396 (.705 OPS), 1.25 WHIP
2008: 3.75 ERA, 955 IP, 786 K, 362 BB, 237/.312/.383 (.695 OPS), 1.27 WHIP

Relievers:
2009: 4.43 ERA, 463 IP, 447 K, 297 BB, .233/.353/.386 (.739 OPS), 1.5 WHIP
2008: 4.10 ERA, 495.2 IP, 478 K, 186 BB, .251/.323/.418 (.741 OPS), 1.33 WHIP

So the starters are pitching a few more innings, walking fewer people and getting more Ks, but giving up a few more hits. They’re basically on par with last year.

The relievers are pitching worse. The are giving up a lot more walks, with a similar K rate. They are giving up fewer hits, but more total baserunners.

See my reply to Madison Cub Fan.

But yes – a lot of this is going to change when the following happens:
- Lee and Soto have more distance from their horrific Aprils
- Soriano has a hot streak to offset his slump
- Bradley starts really hitting
- Ramirez gets healthy and bumps Fontenot back to a platoon at 2B

was just more familiar with ESPN’s stats page at the time.

Looks like some other guys are warming up finally!

For all your complaints about hitting w/RISP, Bradley (with a 1.018 OPS) has been one of our better hitters w/RISP.

The guy had a terrible April, a mediocre May, and a bad game last night. Trading him when his stock is at an all-time low is, well, a panic move, in my opinion.