Jake Smolinski Can Make an Impact With Oakland Athletics
How will Jake Smolinski impact the Oakland A’s?
Outfielder Jake Smolinski did not get off to a good start with the Texas Rangers this season. In 35 games, he batted just .133/.270/.200, ending up with a terrible OPS of just .470 before being designated for assignment.
But Smolinski has more potential that most waiver-wire pickups. He was drafted by the Nationals in the second round of the 2007 draft, but reached minor league free agency before ever making his debut. That might sound terrible, but he is just 26 years old, and the best years of his career have only just arrived. Smolinski batted .349/.391/.512 in 92 plate appearances with Texas last season, and he could have a key role with the A’s after being added to the roster on Tuesday.
Smolinski will likely see at-bats primarily against left-handers, because his splits are fairly drastic. In his major league career, he’s batted .291 against lefties, and .242 against right-handers. He could be a great platoon with Josh Reddick, who has found himself benched against southpaws this year.
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While Reddick might not be happy with that decision, it’s the best thing for the team – and even for him. He is batting .288/.346/.463 with 11 home runs in 2015, thanks largely in part to better management of his appearances against left-handers.
If Smolinski wants to find a permanent role with the A’s, becoming a platoon partner with Reddick is the way to go. While his numbers have been terrible this season, he’s also suffering from a .171 BABIP. A low Batting Average on Balls in Play is a good indicator that someone is running into bad luck – hitting line drives at infielders, or falling victim to stellar outfield catches.
BABIP is more indicative of bad luck if all of the batted ball numbers stay the same. In Smolinski’s case, he’s hitting roughly the same percentages of ground balls, fly balls and line drives as he did in his stellar 2014 debut. Nothing has changed about his at-bats, other than that he’s been rather unlucky in terms of the outcome.
To be fair, his 2014 BABIP was .458, which is abnormally high – meaning he got lucky on his way to a .903 OPS. His true ability lies somewhere in between the two, and that’s more than enough talent for him to be a productive member of the A’s.
Ike Davis and Eric Sogard also struggle against southpaws, which has limited the A’s lineup on days where the opponent’s starter is not a right-hander. With Smolinski in the lineup against lefties, the A’s will be able to limit their use of Mark Canha and his questionable defense in left field. Stephen Vogt can also get some at-bats as the designated hitter, rather than as the first baseman, if he needs some time off from behind the plate.
If Smolinski’s early-season struggles continue, he will find himself out of a job, but he’s more than capable of turning his year around and becoming a very important part of the A’s roster.