Gotay Report

Ruben Gotay is in a serious funk. He's just 1 for his last 19, but more importantly he has just 2 extra base hits in his last 18 games (4 all season). He's shown little plate discipline and even less command of the strike zone, drawing just 3 BBs against 19 Ks this season in 76 ABs. His .211/.241/.316 line translates into an equivalent average of .196 and a -3.7 VORP, worst on a poor hitting team and among the worst in baseball among regulars. Apparently, opposing teams have figured out that he can only hit fastballs, not unlike Pedro Cerrano some year ago (I had no idea he was the same guy who is in "24".)

On the other hand, Gotay has far exceeded expectations defensively - despite some well publicized flaps, his range factor leads all second baseman in MLB and his zone rating is respectable.

I thought Gotay was a darkhorse ROY candidate at the beginning of the season, given his hitting prowess at second base. Right now he's the second coming of Andres Blanco. It sounds like he's going to have to become considerably more selective at the plate if he wants to start making solid contact, but I admit I haven't seen him play in quite a while. Right now, he's a liability at the plate and an asset in the field - words I dared not utter just one short month ago.