Of course, my other job is to be entertaining, if possible.
Plus, I try to help out newer players above all others. Therefore, I shall
attempt to differentiate some Outfielders in the #25-40 range by comparing them
to the Star Trek movies. The basic premise, one sentence about each Trek movie,
either the plot or my general feelings about the film are fair game. I'm
skipping the JJ Abrams one because I still haven't seen it. Then, I'll equate a
player that bears some similarity to the movie.
Yes, I have a strange mind. Just roll with me.
Star Trek 1: A movie which by any other name would be viewed
more favorably.
Player equivalent: Mike Morse
So here's the thing...I've determined that the first Trek
movie is actually not bad, and if it didn't have the Trek name, people would
basically be okay with it. I feel like Morse is in the same situation in
Seattle. He's the same guy he was in Washington. RFK Stadium is thought of as a
somewhat neutral park, as opposed to the Pitcher's park that he now has in
Seattle. I talked about this in my column about 1B's with Kendrys Morales.
Between Morales, Morse, and Jesus Montero. Morse should be able to hit better
than .275 with 20+ HRs and a good number of RBIs, even in Seattle. As a fourth
OF, he's the kind of guy that other people may not feel sure about, but I'm
happy to take him and watch Mike Morse be Mike Morse. If I trust the OF's ahead
of him to deliver some Runs and Stolen Bases, Morse should be an excellent
compliment to them.
Star Trek 2: Awesome.
Player equivalent: Norichika Aoki
Okay, it maybe unfair to compare any non-Top 20 OF to the
awesomeness of “Wrath of Khan,” but I'll do my best. Aoki seemed to surprise
some people last year, and I'm not sure why. The depth of the Brewers' outfield
may have had something to do with that, but this was a WBC player who hit
anywhere from 1 to 4 in that lineup, and he could provide the Brewers with a
leadoff hitter, the likes of which they haven't had in years. He had speed and
just a touch of pop, but he...yes, had a really good Batting Average. I was
going to run through some of his projected numbers, but frankly, I go by feel.
If my #4 OF is hitting leadoff with Braun two spots behind him, I like his
chances for Runs and a few Stolen Bases. I may be asking a bit much for him to
be my #3 OF...but then again, I don't know that I am. If I'm drafting my
Outfield late, I'd feel pretty good about my team if I wind up with Aoki and
Morse occupying those third and fourth slots.
Star Trek 3: Downhill slide after greatness.
Player equivalent: Hunter Pence
So many ways I could go with this description. I could stick
the fork in Carl Crawford or Nelson Cruz, but I'm going Pence instead to serve
as a warning. I look at him as, it would seem, the Giants #5 hitter, and
basically, he's Runs and RBIs. He should be in the peak of his career, but I as
I look at his numbers, I don't see the consistency I want in a fantasy player.
If he slipped and was my #5 OF, fine. I'll take my chances, but as a #3 or #4,
I will pass. He could be fine, but there are so many other options out there.
While ST3 wasn't as good as its predecessor, it did have some points in its
favor. Christopher Lloyd as Kruge for example. And in that vein, I will give Pence
credit, he'll beat Aoki in HR and RBI. If I need that, I have to consider
Pence. However...there's still something about him that, to put it bluntly,
terrifies me. Not unlike the Pon Farr scene in ST3. Just...awkward.
Written by David Bobke
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