Padres Editorial: Padres Mid-Spring Training Report

Mar 12, 2015; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher James Shields (33) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

We are halfway through the Spring Training schedule and just under three weeks until the regular season starts. The San Diego Padres are an even 8-8 through 16 games. Like I have written before, the record itself doesn’t matter a ton, but it is worth looking at possible trends. Through 2 1/2 weeks, there have been some surprises and disappointments. Players are fighting to fulfill their dream of playing in the big leagues for the few roster spots that are still open. Some position battles continue to rage on, while other positions seem more solid than ever. In general, the bats have been a positive for once, with the Padres tops in the Cactus League in home runs and the team hitting .275 as a whole.

Luckily so far, the Padres have avoided any major injuries to their projected starters (although the loss of Tim Federowicz is tough). Most of the new bats have been swinging well. There have been some Padres who have burst onto the scene and are making a good case to make the Opening Day roster. Although winning and losing in the spring does not mean a thing when April comes around, we are far enough into the spring where we can look at individuals who are performing well and who is not. Pitchers are starting to throw three to four innings and most of the starters are get around three at bats a game. There is a decent amount of work to analyze who could be in San Diego come April and who will be sent back down to the farm.

Mar 14, 2015; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Will Middlebrooks (11) swings the bat against the Texas Rangers at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Surprises

1. Will Middlebrooks

A.J. Preller is looking like a genius so far in acquiring this “buy-low” third baseman from the Boston Red Sox. Yangervis Solarte is putting up a pretty good fight, but it will be hard to argue against Middlebrooks getting the starting third base job. Through eight games, he is hitting .375 with two home runs, two doubles, and seven runs scored. He is also slugging .708 and looking more and more like the upstart rookie star the Red Sox had in 2012 and 2013.

2. Matt Kemp

Kemp isn’t as much of a surprise as he is a relief. Everyone knew he could hit for power, but we were all holding our breath, hoping he could stay healthy. Halfway through spring, he looks healthy and is playing well. He has blasted two home runs so far and at times his swing has looked like that of his 2011 MVP-run. Oh, he is also hitting .429 and tied for the team lead with seven RBIs.

3. Alexi Amarista

Amarista has never been known for his bat. He has never hit more than five home runs and never had an average higher than .240. However, this spring something has clicked. He is hitting .391 and making a great case to be the starting shortstop come April 6th. He is a great “plug-and-play” player but no one expects him to hit like he has so far in the spring. I don’t anticipate him continuing to hit north of .300, but it has been a nice sight to see so far.

4. Brandon Morrow 

Morrow has made a strong case for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. In nine innings pitched, he has struck out seven and only allowed one run (1.00 ERA). His last outing was the most impressive so far. He pitched four shutout innings and only allowed three hits and no walks.

Mar 9, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Derek Norris (3) at bat in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training baseball game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Disappointments

1. Jedd Gyorko

Gyorko continues to strike out at a similar rate to last year. He leads the team with 11 strikeouts in 27 at bats and has a .222 average. If he continues at this trend, he may find himself watching Yangervis Solarte or even possibly Hector Olivera playing second base this summer. If he continues to hit like he did last year, he will be riding the pine – unless the Padres don’t want to put $35 million on the bench. Gyorko needs to show considerable improvement in the next month.

2. Derek Norris

I know there are more important things for a catcher to do than hit .300 with 25 home runs. He has to manage a pitching staff and build chemistry with his starters. The catcher is the most important position on the field (in my opinion) and he isn’t expected to be the best hitter. But, come on…an .091 average? He is two for 22 with zero RBIs and seven strikeouts. I don’t expect him to be a premier hitter but a .250 hitter at least would be nice. Of course, I have preached to not look into spring numbers too much, so I will give him some breathing room and wait until April to see what he does when it counts. Hopefully better than two hits in eight games.

3. Ian Kennedy

I am not as worried about Kennedy’s spring as I am about Norris’. Pitching usually takes a little while longer to get going, but a 9.45 ERA through 6 2/3 innings still does not look good. He has allowed four home runs, which is the highest on the team by a large margin. He still has half a spring to shave down that ERA. I am not too worried about it, but it still would be nice to see all four of the known starters performing well.

4. Patience at the plate

Spring Training is for working out the holes in your swing and timing. Although the Padres are swinging well and squaring the ball up more often than in recent years, the walk and strikeout rates are still not where they should be. The Friars have struck out the fifth most in the league with 127 and are towards the bottom in walks drawn with 41. We want that ratio to even out as the season goes on. The more pitches a batter makes a pitcher throw, the more likely the pitcher are to make a mistake and pay for it. The Padres need to improve on working the count and getting optimal hitting counts like 2-0 and 3-1. That will come with time, hopefully.