Delmon Young
Five Numbers That Sum Up The Season
BA |
BAbip |
ISO |
BB/PA |
UZR/150 |
.274 |
.286 |
.184 |
.028 |
-3.7 |
What It All Means
The Tigers went out and acquired Young in 2011 as they foresaw a stalling out of the offense – with Brennan Boesch injured and Magglio Ordonez not hitting, a jolt in the lineup was needed, and Delmon provided that. He hit for a solid average despite a low BAbip, posted a strong ISO which ultimately resulted in an above average offensive profile for the Tigers, and that doesn’t even get into his power surge in the playoffs. However, his walk rate remained terribly low, taking a walk only once every 35 plate appearances, and his defense was bad, in all likelihood even worse than the slightly negative UZR/150 he posted.
What Does the Future Hold
The Tigers appear ready to bring Young back for 2012 . . . that is, if they don’t find a better option out there. The walk rate is an issue, but his average and power would help overshadow that. What it can’t overshadow though is the rough defense – no matter where he’s placed, he’s a liability. He may well still end up starting the season as the everyday left fielder, but it will be the result of the Tigers being unable to find an upgrade to him via free agency or the trade market.
Contract Status
Young is arbitration eligible and is coming off a one-year deal in which he was paid $5.375 million. If he’s re-signed, he will likely receive a raise on that based on his strong 2010 performance.
All statistics are provided by Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com, with all contract information thanks to Cot’s Contracts.