12-12-2019, 01:36 PM
https://redlegnation.com/2019/10/23/could-the-reds-finally-land-a-japanese-player-2020-provides-options/
"One of those players is free agent Shogo Akiyama. How does he fit for the Reds? Well, he’s a center fielder currently. And Cincinnati could be in the market for one of those thanks to the position flexibility of Nick Senzel, who could slide to second base if the team found the right center fielder. In the last five seasons with Seibu he’s hit .321/.399/.497. Last season he hit .303/.392/.471. In that stretch he hasn’t missed a game.
To put into context what that line means, the league hit .252/.326/.392 as a whole in 2019. But his team hit .265/.344/.428 – leading the league in OPS by 40 points. Their pitching staff was also dead last in ERA – by 0.30. These two things may suggest that the home ballpark favors hitters (they were first in OPS and last in ERA in 2018 as well).
Shogo Akiyama is certainly a standout hitter among the league. And in the past he’s been known to be a good defender, too. But he’ll be 32-years-old in April and his speed and defense seem to have been moving in the wrong direction. This is an area where you’re going to want to lean on your scouts that have watched the league. While the Reds haven’t had a player from Japan, they do have a presence there and are actively scouting.
If there’s a chance that he can still handle center field, this is the kind of target the Reds should be seeking. Akiyama looks like he’d be a good hitter (not a great one) and fill a spot of need. But if he’s going to be a corner outfielder, things get a lot less rosy. The bat doesn’t play nearly as well there, and the Reds have options in the corner outfield spots that can’t slide elsewhere on the diamond like they do in center."
"One of those players is free agent Shogo Akiyama. How does he fit for the Reds? Well, he’s a center fielder currently. And Cincinnati could be in the market for one of those thanks to the position flexibility of Nick Senzel, who could slide to second base if the team found the right center fielder. In the last five seasons with Seibu he’s hit .321/.399/.497. Last season he hit .303/.392/.471. In that stretch he hasn’t missed a game.
To put into context what that line means, the league hit .252/.326/.392 as a whole in 2019. But his team hit .265/.344/.428 – leading the league in OPS by 40 points. Their pitching staff was also dead last in ERA – by 0.30. These two things may suggest that the home ballpark favors hitters (they were first in OPS and last in ERA in 2018 as well).
Shogo Akiyama is certainly a standout hitter among the league. And in the past he’s been known to be a good defender, too. But he’ll be 32-years-old in April and his speed and defense seem to have been moving in the wrong direction. This is an area where you’re going to want to lean on your scouts that have watched the league. While the Reds haven’t had a player from Japan, they do have a presence there and are actively scouting.
If there’s a chance that he can still handle center field, this is the kind of target the Reds should be seeking. Akiyama looks like he’d be a good hitter (not a great one) and fill a spot of need. But if he’s going to be a corner outfielder, things get a lot less rosy. The bat doesn’t play nearly as well there, and the Reds have options in the corner outfield spots that can’t slide elsewhere on the diamond like they do in center."
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-Paul Brown
“When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less.”
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