A LOOK AT SS

Now that I've looked at some of the highlighted players heard 'round the dugout this winter, I want to really speculate about the Angels, the team I really care about.  

So far, as a team, the Angels' Spring Training record resides at 5-3.  They've tried out an infinite number of lineup combinations, pitching rotations, and fielding position strategies already, and they still have time to play around with it.  Though, there are some key positions that are definitely up for grabs.

The most pertinent example of this is in the middle field.  Short stop, without ol' reliable Cabrera, is a matter of controversy.  Well, not so much controversy as, "up for grabs" in the typical lingo being thrown around about this matter of business.  Right now, the Angels have given about equal playing time to all three candidates, five games for both Aybar and Izturis, and a sixth for Wood.  

Experientially, Izturis has the upper hand here.  He's been a starter for the Angels, has played not only short, but second and third over the course of his Major League career with the Angels, and has proven himself not only in his fielding, but in his batting.  Much of the staff believes that he is a more reliable player likened to Cabrera, with a solid accurate arm, and a quick decisive throw.  Izturis became one of the 2007 clutch batters for the Angels, batting over .350 with men in scoring position.  For much of the second half of the season, this earned him a place in the lineup, batting 5th, a place not usually held by a "smaller stature" player.  However, he belted several astonishing home runs, which had the crowd in near-amazement.

Aybar has also done a bit of proving himself.  Though robbed of what would have been his first homer of his Major League career earlier in the season, Aybar proved that he can have a pop in his bat, and has shown extreme athleticism in his fielding.  A lot has been going around the league verbally about the idea of adding a new fielding stat that accounts for stellar plays.  In terms of opinions of Aybar from teammates, staff, and scouts, many of his plays could fit this new category.  

And as far as Brandon Wood goes, we didn't see much of him in the short stop role while he played his few games in the Majors, because they had been previously training him to take the third base position that the Angels had trouble filling.  For the few games we saw him, third was his place.  However, short stop is Wood's prime position, and for what's been said about the guy, he's supposed to be phenomenal.  He is considered one of the Angels' top prospects, and more like the league's typical third basemen, Wood is considered more of a hitter than the other two candidates.  His batting numbers were good in his minor league career, and he is believed to be an emerging Major League hitter.  This is still purely speculation, as he has yet to really break out into the scene well enough to judge the accuracy of that particular statement.

Now that I've written up mini scouting report, a la my own opinions and observations, here's a bit of analysis regarding their Spring Training appearances thus far:

In terms of fielding, both Aybar and Izturis have played roughly the same amount of innings, while Wood has only played 3 of his 6 games at short, none of which he started.  However, their stats are all fairly similar, and thus much of the debate about their defensive abilities will come after a much longer tenure at the position for each.  The deciding factor will come to the issue of the reliability vs. athleticism debate, and their success at the plate.

Wood currently has the most plate appearances at 16, with 2 hits, both of which were home runs, 2 runs resulting from those home runs, and 4 RBIs.  The downside is that he's struck out at home a total of 6 times in those 16 at-bats, which is a bit of an alarm signal.  In contrast, neither Aybar nor Izturis have struck out in their 11 and 13 at-bats, respectively.  Because of this, Wood's average sits at .125, matching his on-base percentage, while his slugging remains at .500.  

Though Aybar and Izturis are not usually your home-run hitters (though we've seen them both do it, and Izturis had quite a hot spell of them last year!), both have been fairly evenly matched in terms of their batting abilities so far during this Spring.  Both have 4 hits, 2 of which for Izturis were extra base hits as well as an additional extra base hit from Aybar, 1 run for Izturis and 3 more for Aybar, 2 RBIs for Iz and another for Aybar, and Aybar has also walked his way to base twice.  Their averages are close, .308 for Izturis and .364 for Aybar, with nearly equal slugging percentages.  

This decision, I believe will split between both Aybar and Izturis as far as starting the 2008 season.  Both will probably get fairly equal playing time at short, but I think it will be wiser, due to the evidence of last year, to keep Izturis' bat in, especially with runners in scoring position.  

Stay Tuned - next I will look at the dynamic mix going on in the outfield. Come back soon!