10/14: Baby Bomber
Posted by: James
Eric Duncan seems to be showcasing more of his true abilities in the AZL (Arizona Fall League) this fall. Granted, it's in 7 games and 30 ABs, but hey, that's still pretty good for a prospect that a lot of people were down on.
A lot of people expected great things from Eric Duncan this year and looking at his overall numbers while on the Double-A Trenton Thunder, most people come away less than impressed. At the end of the season, his line stood at .235 AVG/.326 OBP/.408 SLG - hardly something to write home about. However, there are some things to note about this performance:
A) While he struck out quite a bit - 136Ks in 126 games (or in 451 ABs - he struck out about 30% of the time) - he still showed enough plate discipline (59 BBs) to work out a decent OBP compared to his AVG.
B) The last part of his season was interrupted when he was hit in the head by a pitch and was forced to sit out a couple weeks with a concussion. On returning, it seemed to take him a little while to get his stroke back and unfortunately, before he could, the season was over.
C) He still showed a pretty good power stroke (19 HRs and 37 XBHs), which in my mind shows that while the power is there, it's the pitch recognition and timing that's still a little bit off.
D) Most importantly, we're talking about a kid who is only 20 years old and in AA. If he gone to college instead of being the Yankees first round draft pick in 2003, he'd be wailing on college pitchers right now. Instead, he is two steps away from the major leagues and trying to adjust. Give him time and I'm very confident that he will live up to the Yankee's expectations.
I might be overvaluing Duncan based on what I think his true potential is but I am certain that a lot of people are undervaluing him based on one season. I see the Yanks keeping him in AA to start 2006 and move from there. After that, I think it's only a matter of time before Eric makes the move to the majors (and hopefully, it's with the Yanks).
A lot of people expected great things from Eric Duncan this year and looking at his overall numbers while on the Double-A Trenton Thunder, most people come away less than impressed. At the end of the season, his line stood at .235 AVG/.326 OBP/.408 SLG - hardly something to write home about. However, there are some things to note about this performance:
A) While he struck out quite a bit - 136Ks in 126 games (or in 451 ABs - he struck out about 30% of the time) - he still showed enough plate discipline (59 BBs) to work out a decent OBP compared to his AVG.
B) The last part of his season was interrupted when he was hit in the head by a pitch and was forced to sit out a couple weeks with a concussion. On returning, it seemed to take him a little while to get his stroke back and unfortunately, before he could, the season was over.
C) He still showed a pretty good power stroke (19 HRs and 37 XBHs), which in my mind shows that while the power is there, it's the pitch recognition and timing that's still a little bit off.
D) Most importantly, we're talking about a kid who is only 20 years old and in AA. If he gone to college instead of being the Yankees first round draft pick in 2003, he'd be wailing on college pitchers right now. Instead, he is two steps away from the major leagues and trying to adjust. Give him time and I'm very confident that he will live up to the Yankee's expectations.
I might be overvaluing Duncan based on what I think his true potential is but I am certain that a lot of people are undervaluing him based on one season. I see the Yanks keeping him in AA to start 2006 and move from there. After that, I think it's only a matter of time before Eric makes the move to the majors (and hopefully, it's with the Yanks).
Patrick wrote: