Projections From Those Smarter Than I: Third Base

We’re going to sink or swim with Brent Morel at 3rd base. There is no alternative, it’s Morel or it’s serious replacement level action. Not so long ago we went into Spring Training certain about who our third baseman was for the year and, well, it didn’t turn out to be so certain once the season started. Brent Morel is no Mark Teahen, though. 3rd base tends to be a power position, but we know no matter what productivity Morel can provide with the bat, we are getting a defensive third baseman that we’ve been lacking. Brent seemed to figure something out towards the end of the 2011 season, getting a little more pull and therefore power in his swing. If that trend keeps, we’re looking good at the hot corner.

AVG

OBP

SLG

HR

RBI

SB

R

Bill James

0.273

0.314

0.418

12

50

6

53

RotoChamp

0.285

0.327

0.419

12

61

7

57

PECOTA

0.264

0.301

0.391

13

64

11

65

Though not exceptionally lofty, it’s not all that bad either. It’s a build upon what we saw last year. It’s fair, it’s middling, it’s an improvement. It’s about what we would like to see from Brent Morel in exchange for a solid defensive third base performance. I’d like to see him get above the 15 HR mark but I don’t expect him to. These are projections I can fully agree with, even as a sometimes overly optimistic fan. A nice 2012 White Sox slogan: “3rd base: it’s not Mark Teahen.”