DIVISIONAL OUTLOOK: AL West—OAK 2B questions linger
Aug 5 2013
Many observers expected the 2B battle to play out over most of the season, but few anticipated the current situation entering August. Eric Sogard (2B, OAK) entered March as a likely roster cut, thanks to just 179 MLB career AB over three years and a .189 BA. But a combination of bb%, ct%, and h% upticks—7%, 86%, and 31% respectively—has helped Sogard outlast his struggling/injured competitors. A .287/.342/.388 line over his first 209 AB vs. RHPs and his ability to do "the little things" places Sogard at the top of the A's order on most nights.
Apart from sub-par power and average speed, Sogard's biggest issue is left-handed pitching, against whom he is batting .184. It's also one of the primary reasons OAK acquired
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