Oakland Athletics’ Marcus Semien will break out offensively in 2016
In 2015, Oakland Athletics’ shortstop Marcus Semien was criticized for his defense. He seemed to lack the fundamental skills to play in the middle infield, ultimately leading to him committing the most errors in the MLB. Because everyone was focused so much on the defense, many did not take into account his offensive power at the plate.
Last year, Semien had the third most runs and hits as well as the second most triples on the team. For his first full season as an everyday starting playing in the big leagues, he batted a respectable .257 with a .715 OPS. However, these numbers were not up to Semine’s expected offensive production. It seems as though even Semien himself was so distracted by his defensive woes, that he could not live up to those scouting reports that pointed to Semien’s talent as a power hitter.
Thankfully, 2016 is the year that Semien’s bat will shine. With his defense cleaned up, Semien can now shift some of his focus back to his offense – a skill he demonstrated often while in the minor leagues. Interestingly enough, Semien’s bat has already made a huge impact this season.
Semien has only played in ten games, yet he has been able to hit four homers and five RBI. Two of those home runs were in the same game against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. This puts him on pace to hit upwards of 60 long balls and over 80 RBI.
Now, Semien’s bat is bound to cool off at some point and it is unlikely he will reach these numbers. But, this is certainly an indication that his offense will improve this year. In 2015, he hit 15 home runs and 45 RBI. I would wager to guess that Semien will collect at least 25 homers and 65 RBI this upcoming season.
In 2015, Semien was average offensively and below average defensively. In 2016, Semien will demonstrate well above-average production at the plate as well as average, yet reliable, defense at shortstop. With his defensive struggles now under control, Semien can focus on being an overall well-rounded player and will be one of the Oakland Athletics’ breakout stars this season.