Projections for the 2011 Diamondbacks' Batters

Written by Amit Lal | 29 March 2011

With the roster and playing time battles almost sorted out, it's time for my projections for the Diamondbacks' batters in 2011. Starting with the catchers...

Catcher

Montero should back from his injury-plagued 2010 season with a solid 2011 campaign. It is likely that he will bat in the middle of the lineup against RHP, which should give him plenty of RBI opportunities.

If all goes well, Blanco should not see significant playing time in 2011. He should get a start or two per week, preferably against LHP, but will often be pinch-hit or pinch-run for in the late innings even when he does start. If an injury occurs to Montero, the team would probably bring up Konrad Schmidt or John Hester to play every day over Blanco.

First Base

In Spring Training, Branyan has shown that he can still hit for power. There are still some concerns about his defensive ability, related to his back injuries in 2010. And the team does want to see what Juan Miranda can do, so Branyan may not see as much playing time as his bat deserves.

Miranda should get plenty of chances to play this year, since his defense at 1B has looked much better than Branyan's, and Miranda has also shown good power and patience in Spring Training. Since he is out of options, he will probably stay on the Major League roster all season, but he needs to hit well enough to hold off Brandon Allen.

Second Base

Johnson had an excellent season in 2010, and should put a similar season in 2010. He should be batting in the upper half of the batting order, and should get the vast majority of playing time at 2B.

Bloomquist should see occasional time all over the diamond. If Tony Abreu is not on the roster, Bloomquist becomes the primary backup SS, and he will also fill in at 2B, 3B, LF, and CF. Bloomquist is the fastest player on the bench, and should be some pinch-running duty for players like Branyan or Blanco.

Shortstop

Drew will be expected to play lots of innings at SS for the Diamondbacks, as there is really no true backup SS on the roster right now. Unfortunately, Drew has been bothered by abdominal soreness during Spring Training, but the team hopes he will be ready for Opening Day.

If Blum is healthy, he will be the backup to Stephen Drew, and should also get considerable playing time at 3B. But Blum has had knee problems all spring, and will probably start the year on the DL. There is a small chance that Blum could be out for the entire season. 

Third Base

Mora should be the starting 3B for the Diamondbacks. He does not have anywhere near the power of Mark Reynolds, but he should play solid defense and get on base at a respectable rate.

Roberts had a red-hot Spring Training with the bat, and is expected to be the 13th position player on the Opening Day roster. I am a little skeptical that he can keep it up during the regular season, but he has been showing improved plate discipline. Defensively, Roberts has been a little shaky at 3B, so he really needs to hit to keep his roster spot.

Outfield

Upton had a disappointing 2010 season, but should return to form in 2011. He did set a career high in walks in 2010 and play better defensively, but for some reason slumped against LHP.

Young rebounded from a disastrous 2009 campaign to put up the best season of his career in 2010. The Diamondbacks need him to play at a high level, and to improve his hitting on the road (.675 OPS in 2010).

The Diamondbacks need Nady to return to the skills he showed in 2008. But in Spring Training, he still showed the effect of Tommy John surgery in 2009 - struggling with throws in the outfield, and not showing any power.  Edit: Nady just hit a Grand Slam in Tueday's exhibition game against the Cubs! If Nady doesn't show something quickly, he could be replaced on the roster by Brandon Allen or Wily Mo Pena.

Parra could be beneficiary of more playing time if Nady continues to struggle. He's the best defensive LF on the club, and has looked good with the bat in Spring Training.  But since he doesn't draw many walks or hit for power, his offense will still probably be below average for a LF.

It appears that Allen will not be able to win a roster spot coming out of Spring Training. Many analysts feel that Allen has nothing left to prove in the Minors, but I think he needs to build on the .261/.405/.528 line he put up for Reno last year. In the context of the PCL, that is not a very impressive season, and I think Allen can improve on that and find his way to the big leagues later in 2011.

Here is the summary for the projections for the team's primary batters:

When you add in the numbers for pitchers and various minor league callups, the team should score around 750 Runs in 2011, up considerably from the 713 the team scored in 2010.  Next up will be the projections for the pitching staff.