By Chuck Miller
Clint Barmes and Ian Stewart have been sharing the bulk of the workload at second base for the Colorado Rockies over the past month. It seems to make a lot of sense that with a right-handed batter (Barmes) and a left-handed batter (Stewart) you’d have the perfect platoon option available to you. However, based on limited numbers so far this season, the Rockies could really use a second baseman who can hit a right-handed pitcher:
Clint Barmes (RHB) 2009 Avg AB H 2B 3B HR RBI TBB HBP SO GDP OBP SLG vs. Left .300 20 6 2 0 2 6 1 0 2 0 .333 .700 vs. Right .226 62 14 3 0 1 6 2 1 15 1 .262 .323 Ian Stewart (LHB) 2009 Avg AB H 2B 3B HR RBI TBB HBP SO GDP OBP SLG vs. Left .353 17 6 1 0 3 8 1 1 5 0 .421 .941 vs. Right .169 59 10 2 0 4 12 8 1 20 1 .275 .407
Again, in limited numbers, Stewart has actually been a much better hitter against southpaws during his short Major League career:
Avg AB H 2B 3B HR RBI TBB HBP SO GDP OBP SLG
vs. LHP 2007 .100 10 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 .182 .200
vs. LHP 2008 .370 54 20 6 0 4 17 4 2 14 1 .433 .704
vs. LHP 2009 .353 17 6 1 0 3 8 1 1 5 0 .421 .941
----------------------------------------------------------------------
.333 81 27 8 0 7 25 5 4 23 1 .400 .691
Avg AB H 2B 3B HR RBI TBB HBP SO GDP OBP SLG
vs. RHP 2007 .242 33 8 3 0 1 9 1 1 13 0 .286 .424
vs. RHP 2008 .231 212 49 12 2 6 24 26 5 80 2 .328 .392
vs. RHP 2009 .169 59 10 2 0 4 12 8 1 20 1 .275 .407
----------------------------------------------------------------------
.220 304 67 17 2 11 45 35 7 113 3 .315 .398
In the two-game span of May 12-13, Stewart had three hits in 10 at-bats good for seven RBI. All three hits were home runs and two came against a lefty.
Stewart turned 24 in early April, so he should have plenty of time to come around against righties bringing his overall numbers more in line with his career minor league posts of .293 average, .374 on-base percentage and .524 slugging in nearly 2300 at-bats.
A first-round pick out of Garden Grove (Calif.) High School in 2003, he was regarded as one of the Rockies top position player prospects when he broke in. He came through the system as a third baseman, but with Garrett Atkins manning the position in Colorado, he’s had to shift over to see playing time.
Chuck Miller is Operations Manager at STATS LLC.
