Shane Victorino is the best hitter against LHP in baseball this year

by Joecatz on Jul 26, 2011 5:11 PM EDT

We all knew it was coming. Jayson Werth and his career .280/.386/.528 line against LHP left a gaping hole in the 5 spot of the lineup, and now, everyone in the casual fandome is screaming for a RH bat at the deadline.

So all the trade talk about a RH bat got me thinking about Shane Victorino. We all know how good he's been this year, but I wanted to find out how good. Specifically, How does he compare, against LH pitching to the ELITE RH Power bats? Think about it, would you pull trigger on Matt Kemp, or Jose Bautista? Miguel Cabrera? Ryan Braun? How bout Albert Pujols?

Before you answer, check out the numbers after the Jump

I could get into a long philosophical post here, but I won't. I'm gonna let the numbers speak for themselves. Everyone is clamoring for a RH bat to hit in the 5 hole. Here are the 2011 numbers for the ELITE, against LHP.

Lets start with the best RH hitter in the game. Albert Pujols. Granted, he's been hurt and is having an "off year" by his standards, bbut he's still putting up the following line against Lefties:

.289/.349/.566 .915 OPS!! 6 HR, 17 RBI, 8BB to 7K's in 86 PA. Even in an off season, Albert is still the man.

But how bout the people who are having TREMENDOUS YEARS? The MVP Candidates?

Here ya go.

Ryan Braun 91 PA .324/.440/.500 .940 OPS! 2 HR and 10 RBI 16 BB to 16K! WOW!

Matt Kemp 106 PA .321/.462!!/.593 .1.055 OPS!! 5 HR and 17 RBI 23BB to 19K!! COME ON!!

Miguel Cabrera 115 PA .281/.426/506 .932 OPS 5 HR 14 RBI and an astounding 24BB to 15K!! SIGN ME UP!!

and the holy grail.... Jose Bautista 89 PA .366/.494/.746 1.240 OPS!! 7 HR 15 RBI!! 18 BB 14K MY GOD!!

Then theres our 5 hitter, Shane Victorino. hopefully somewhere below Cabrera... right?

Try .375/.487/.719 for a 1.206 OPS with 5HR and 16 RBI 11 BB and only 6K's in just 79 PA.

Simply put, Shane Victorino is as good, if not better, from the right side than the best RH hitter in the game right now.

Don't know what else to say.

Oh wait, I do.

Jayson Werth, 2011 against LHP .165/.320/.316 with 2 HR 9 RBI 18BB and 28K in 100 PA.

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Comments

So…why does everyone want Hunter Pence? The way I see it, Shane makes for the perfect 5-hole hitter. He’s a switch hitter, so he can “protect Howard” from both sides of the plate, he hits for a good average, and has some solid power numbers. And the icing on the cake, he’s fast as fuck. Not only can he drive in the runs, but it becomes significantly easier for the bottom of the lineup to drive him in as well. Hopefully once Polly gets slotted back into the 2-hole and starts hitting better, we can keep Shane behind Howard.

Time is not made of lines. It is made of circles. That is why clocks are round.
-Michael J Caboose

by TheOrangeCone on Jul 26, 2011 2:52 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Because the people screaming for Pence, et al, have no idea just how good Vic has been against LHP. Nobody does.

25.8/106 CURRENTLY HOT!!!

by Joecatz on Jul 26, 2011 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it’s a combination of “The grass is always greener” and “Victorino is a speed guy and speed guys can’t be #5 hitters”

by taco pal on Jul 26, 2011 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions

I just posited this to Bowden and Stern

Their answer was Vic would not hit 5th in 29 other lineups so it’s a moot point and we should trade for Beltran.

FACEPALM!

25.8/106 CURRENTLY HOT!!!

by Joecatz on Jul 26, 2011 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Those guys sound pretty dumb.

by taco pal on Jul 26, 2011 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions

lol

"Descartes commanded the future from his study more than Napoleon did from his throne."

by Euler.is.a.Pimp on Jul 26, 2011 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, he has a point, Victorino would probably hit 3rd in most other lineups.

by pretzalz on Jul 26, 2011 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah, people really don’t get how useful it is to have speed in the second half of the lineup

by yolacrary on Jul 26, 2011 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions

not to mention that Rollins is your leadoff hitter and you have one of the best 2 hitters in the game in Polanco, who, by the way, can’t really hit well (historically) anyplace else in the lineup.

Vic is putting those numbers up as much BECAUSE hes hitting 5th as anything else. Plus, hitting Vic 5th gives him the MOST CHANCES to face LHP, with Ibanez behind him, because of Utley and Howard in front of him.

You move Vic to the 2 hole, he hits RHP from the left side, then they bring in a lefty to face Utley….

Its pretty damn simple to me. Regardless ofwhether we make a move or not, VIC is your 5 hitter.

25.8/106 CURRENTLY HOT!!!

by Joecatz on Jul 26, 2011 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions

excellent points

by yolacrary on Jul 26, 2011 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions

It’s even worse than that. If you have speed, and you’re relatively small, and you play an up-the-middle position, then you’re not allowed to hit in the second half of the lineup or get RBIs at all unless it’s by accident. Think of how every Jimmy Rollins home run is met by hand-wringing about what it will do to his swing.

by taco pal on Jul 26, 2011 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions

We don’t want him swinging for the fences because it will just make him pop it up in 20 of his next 25 AB’s. /WIP’d

What kind of plane is it? Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the windows and wheels and it looks like a big ol' Tylenol.

by doubleh on Jul 26, 2011 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Any evidence to support this?

"Descartes commanded the future from his study more than Napoleon did from his throne."

by Euler.is.a.Pimp on Jul 26, 2011 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Ugh this cut off somehow.

Meant to say that the best thing about that argument is if you ever asked someone (Howard Eskin for example), any evidence to support this? You would be laughed off the air.

"Descartes commanded the future from his study more than Napoleon did from his throne."

by Euler.is.a.Pimp on Jul 26, 2011 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions

there was bitching yesterday because on that final out he “tried to hit a HR when all we needed was a single”; but he just missed the pitch: I suspect if he hadn’t, people would have been all right with it

by yolacrary on Jul 26, 2011 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I was actually mildly annoyed that we were playing for the tie in the ninth. Perhaps it is the book move at home, but I’d rather of had Ruiz swing away.

by pretzalz on Jul 26, 2011 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I know you probably disagree, TP but I can tell you from
Experience that certain hitters do hit better from certain spots. Vic is one. His approach at the plate hitting 2nd or 5th is remarkably similar, and considerably better than any place else (especially leadoff) than anywhere else.

Polly ONLY hits well in the 2 hole. It’s mostly mental, but the production you lose from them in other spots is kinda crazy.

25.8/106 CURRENTLY HOT!!!

by Joecatz on Jul 26, 2011 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions

People often forget that Werth was our 2-hole hitter for quite a while. He’s certainly a base stealing threat.

Time is not made of lines. It is made of circles. That is why clocks are round.
-Michael J Caboose

by TheOrangeCone on Jul 26, 2011 4:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Great FP Joe.

by The Reddgie on Jul 26, 2011 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

Dude. Way to go, Shane.

I'm a left-hander in a right-hander's body.

by LeepinLizardz on Jul 26, 2011 4:05 PM EDT reply actions

My Shane Victorino Hula Bobble keeps rising in value. Sweet!

What kind of plane is it? Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the windows and wheels and it looks like a big ol' Tylenol.

by doubleh on Jul 26, 2011 4:12 PM EDT reply actions

Perfect

Just move him to left field, and we don’t need to make a trade for a right handed (who can hit LHP) corner outfielder. Done and done!

by teezy33 on Jul 26, 2011 4:53 PM EDT reply actions

From Amazin Avenue

“Victorino As Seen By The World”

http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/7/23/2290012/victorino-as-seen-by-the-world

I rec’d it this afternoon. You should, too.

Why look'st thou so?' -"With my crossbow
I shot the Albatross."

by RememberthePhitans on Jul 26, 2011 5:13 PM EDT reply actions

Excellent.

by essman on Jul 26, 2011 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions

yet another reason I'd prefer Cuddyer

118 PA – .344/.466/.656, 1.122 OPS, 8 HR, 22 BB, 16 K

"Have you seen this Perez guy pitch? I'm a pacifist, but I've never seen anything so violent look so beautiful."

by DirtyWaters on Jul 26, 2011 5:49 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah

cuddyer is basically the only “RH bat” that provides you with anything close to what Vic does against LHP. None of the usual suspects, including Beltran, are an upgrade.

25.8/106 CURRENTLY HOT!!!

by Joecatz on Jul 26, 2011 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions

and his positional flexibility makes him even more appealing…hopefully Texas puts up another 20 spot to force the fire sale

"Have you seen this Perez guy pitch? I'm a pacifist, but I've never seen anything so violent look so beautiful."

by DirtyWaters on Jul 26, 2011 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Victorino isn’t going anywhere of course, so we’re actually talking about an upgrade vs. Ibanez. Even if the new guy hits 5th, it still means it’s mostly Ibanez who’s replaced somewhere in the lineup.

Celebrating over 50 years of slightly more Phils wins than losses: 1961-2011

by schmenkman on Jul 26, 2011 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Or brown, more likely.

25.8/106 CURRENTLY HOT!!!

by Joecatz on Jul 26, 2011 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Great stuff Joecatz. I knew Shane has been really strong against LHP for a couple years now, but not to that extent.

by dajafi on Jul 26, 2011 10:43 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

I'm loving the no RH bat talk

Keep it up! There just isn’t an upgrade good enough to justify a trade at this point for just the silly reason of a RH bat. Phils should only be looking at the extent of Polanco’s injury if they’re going to do a deal. I don’t think a closer or RH bat is a good enough reason to give up prospects.

by akanph on Jul 27, 2011 8:04 AM EDT reply actions

Great post. It’s been alot of fun watching Shane play this year. He’s having a career year just when we needed it most. Great to see him getting the props he deserves

by aPHILLYated on Jul 27, 2011 1:49 PM EDT reply actions