Padres News: Down On The Farm-Second Base

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Bats/Throws: L/R

Height/Weight: 6′ 195 lbs

Age: 24

Cory Spangenberg made his Padres debut last year, and showed his versatility right away. In 20 games for the Padres, Spangenberg played second base, left field and third base. He is major league ready now and fighting for a spot on this year’s team.

At 24 years of age, and with years of college experience behind him, he has done all you can do in the minor leagues. With a career .290 batting average and a .350 on-base percentage, he has the stats you look for in a young second baseman.

The man has great speed and that’s evident in his 113 career minor league stolen bases. He was the Padres 1st round pick in the 2011 draft, in fact he was the #10 overall pick. Obviously the Padres think very highly of Spangenberg.

He had suffered two concussions in his past three years, but appears to be fine. No after effects are evident. Concussions even in baseball can be hard to recover from. Two head injuries in three years is nothing to be complacent about.

Cory Spangenberg looks like he will be a very good utility infielder in the Major Leagues at worst. He could bloom with a little more seasoning, into a legit second baseman. Although Spangenberg can play shortstop, I do not think he could handle the every day nuances of being a Major League-caliber shortstop.

Bud Black seems to really like Spangenberg and this year’s Padres team could use more speed. He is however, behind Alexi Amarista and Yangervis Solarte for that super-sub role on the team. It will take an injury or a trade for Spangenberg to break camp with the Padres. Even if he doesn’t break camp with the team, he is a pretty good bet to be seen at Petco sometime during this long season.

Next: Ranking The NL West First Basemen

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