Rangers Position Preview: Elvis Andrus-The Good and The Bad
Elvis Andrus started 145 games last season at shortstop. Just at age 22, Andrus should be the shortstop of the Texas Rangers for the next decade at least.
Andrus was acquired from the Braves in July of 2007. He was a prospect included in the package that the Rangers got for first baseman Mark Teixeira. Christian Guzman played a few games at the position last season, but he was not retained by the team.
According to texasrangers.com, Michael Young is the current backup shortstop if Andrus were to get injured. Andres Blanco would be the third option.
Many fans may have a more optimistic view of Andrus’ stats than they actually show. Andrus may not be under the same scrutiny as others but after all, he is still only 22 years old.
Elvis Andrus stats are shown below:
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/15/2011.
Andrus did not homer a single time in 2011. But let’s not confuse ourselves. That is perfectly fine with the Rangers. After coming in second in rookie of the year voting in 2009, Andrus followed up his efforts with an All Star appearance in 2010.
Andrus batting average of .265 was a little low for leadoff hitters and his on-base percentage was just .342. In comparison, that on-base percentage is only .01 higher than the Cincinnati Reds leadoff men in 2010. The Reds, unlike the Rangers, kept rotating leadoff hitters between Brandon Phillips and Drew Stubbs because neither were getting on base with enough regularity.
So how good really is Andrus out of the leadoff spot? It does not appear that he is as good as Rangers fans have given him credit for.
Many fans would point to the number of steals he had. He swiped 32 bases in 2010. By comparison, Cincinnati Reds leadoff hitters stole 37 bases while batting out of that slot, and the Reds stated finding a bonafide leadoff hitter as their number one goal this offseason.
My point is not to knock Andrus, but at age 22, Andrus still has some improving to do if he is going to consistently jump start the Rangers offense.
So let’s take a look at the stats of one of the best leadoff and #2 hitters of all time: Derek Jeter.
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/15/2011.
Jeter was 23 and 24 years old during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Jeter recorded 203 hits in his third year as a pro while sporting a .384 on base percentage. While those numbers may be optimistic for Andrus, if Andrus could raise his on-base percentage to around .355, he would most likely approach 110 runs scored.
Brandon Phillips of the Reds had 100 runs scored alone while in the leadoff spot.
So Andrus will be the everyday shortstop for a while for the Texas Rangers. Offensively he still has room to improve, but what about on the defensive side?
Andrus has committed 38 errors over the past two seasons. As a rookie, he led the majors with 22 errors, and in 2010 he committed 16 errors. Needless to say, Ron Washington would like to see a significant improvement from Andrus in 2011.
Andrus fielding percentage of .976 was one of the lowest among qualifying shortstops in the American League.
At shortstop for the Rangers, more improvement needs to be made than meets the eye.
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Here is SportDFW writer JD Moore’s slightly different take:
As Spring Training comes soon, it’s clear and apparent that shortstop and leadoff man Elvis Andrus will keep his starting job.
The 22-year-old Venezuelan improved in his sophomore season last year, keeping vital statistics in constant check while improving in critical ones.
What I like about Elvis’ stats are that he improved in a key area: walks.
Elvis picked up 24 more walks last season than what he did in his rookie season, something that shows signs of maturity in a ballplayer. The fact that he is more willing to wait at the plate shows that Andrus is serious about becoming an improved player. That’s a great sign to see from any young player, especially one who got to skip the AAA level in the minors.
Now granted, something that Andrus also gained in was the number of strikeouts he took. However, this should not be feared. Andrus struck out 96 times over the course of 588 at-bats, making his strikeout percentage 16%.
This is the exact percentage he had in his rookie season.
In comparing his walk percentages, Andrus improved from 8% to 11%. His batting average was similar and his on-base percentage rose by more than 20 points.
These numbers prove that Andrus is maturing as a ballplayer. He’s more willing to wait on a pitch to drive and he’s realized that getting on base is more important than getting a hit. Along with his other skill traits, Andrus will prove that he is a real worthy top 5 shortstop in the league. Here’s why:
1) Elvis Andrus is a speed demon. The main reason of why I love seeing Andrus improve in walks is that his biggest skill set is speed. Andrus has stole 30+ bags in both seasons of his career and there’s nothing to say that he won’t again this year. He’s a run generator and he electrifies the Texas Rangers‘ offense.
2) Elvis Andrus is clutch. In last year’s run to the World Series, Andrus hit .294 with eight runs and, count ’em, eight steals. Andrus was the reason that Rangers fans bought antlers by the truckload. He started every game with a bang and did everything in his power to be a setup for a run.
3) Elvis Andrus has one of the best fielding ranges in the majors. The numbers don’t lie. Andrus is a great fielder who can run anywhere he needs to. He’s had the highest range factor number before (2009, with a 4.61 factor) and had a top 5 fielding percentage last year (5th, with a .976). This is better than what Gold Glovers like Derek Jeter, Barry Larkin and Alex Rodriguez were pulling in their sophomore seasons.
4) Elvis Andrus is young and has huge potential. Elvis Andrus is 22-years-old. He’s one of the youngest players currently on an MLB roster (Ranked 4th youngest last season). He’s already playing superb ball and will only get better with age and maturity. He’s in the right place with Texas and will turn into a great superstar.
Elvis Andrus is a fantastic ballplayer who is only improving. He’s consistent and has great talent. Don’t believe me? Check out this comparison between Elvis Andrus and Derek Jeter at ChickenFriedBaseball.
Andrus is arguably a top five shortstop now. He will only improve.
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