2015 Lancaster Offensive Efficiency

2015 Lancaster Offensive Efficiency

By Jeremy Schmidt ( @Jeremy_IP_TTM and @TXLScouting )

When you think about the Cal League, Lancaster in particular, a launching pad offensive environment comes to mind. The 2015 Lancaster JetHawks took full advantage of their extreme hitter friendly ballpark to lead the league with 6.34 runs per game and 174 homeruns. When looking at the offensive efficiency numbers in a league with such polar extreme hitting conditions as the Cal League the averages relative to the league average will usually have a wide spread. The 2015 edition of the JetHawks had a team OE of 48.43 which was nearly 19% better than the league average of 40.72. As talented as the team was the park effects of The Hangar further inflated the offensive numbers. Below are the OE numbers for the JetHawk players that had at least 100 plate appearances. [Click here for the Offensive Efficiency formula.]

1. A.J. Reed - 62.03
2. Sean McMullen - 58.85
3. Chase McDonald - 57.12
4. Brett Phillips - 55.87
5. Derek Fisher - 53.00
6. J.D. Davis - 50.86
7. Ronnie Mitchell - 50.05
8. Jamie Ritchie - 48.25
9. James Ramsay - 47.54
10. Mott Hyde - 46.64
11. Jack Mayfield - 46.55
12. Danry Vasquez - 45.85
13. Marc Wik - 43.88
14. Alex Bregman - 43.06
15. Alfredo Gonzalez - 42.26
16. Brian Holberton - 37.59
17. Jose Fernandez - 28.05

A.J. Reed really took off to start the season and played his way to AA where he continued to mash. Sean McMullen took full advantage of the positive run scoring environment in his short stint with the team; he should start next season back in Lancaster. Chase McDonald finished second in the league in homeruns with 30; aside from his power numbers, McDonald’s stats are nearly identical to last season at Quad Cities. Brett Phillips was spectacular, although he was hurt on the base paths getting caught stealing 43% of the time. Derek Fisher was very good after joining the team; he showed a great power and speed combination in spite of a lower than expected batting average. J.D. Davis matched his numbers from 2014 at a higher level which is a very good sign going forward. Ronnie Mitchell finished with double digit totals in doubles, triples, and homeruns. Jamie Ritchie after his late season call up racked up 25 walks against just 27 strikeouts in only 164 plate appearances; he is another in a very deep catching position for the Astros’ farm system. James Ramsay led the team in hits with 160 but his efficiency number was hurt by being caught stealing 12 times. Mott Hyde in half a season at Lancaster played very well, improving his stock as a 26th round pick. Danry Vasquez played his way to a AA promotion even though his traditional stats didn’t line up with his OE number. Vasquez struggled with the Hooks. Marc Wik is a solid on base player, but it looks like he will end up being squeezed out by other outfielders with louder tools. [Note from Jayne: Wik is being used as a super utility player. As long as he continues to do a lot of things reasonably well, I think he has the opportunity to fill that niche role for some team at some point.] Alex Bregman, the Astros’ first pick in the 2015 draft, played very well in Lancaster. His OE number was hurt by 4 caught stealing and grounding into 5 double plays in limited plate appearances in Lancaster. Alfredo Gonzalez didn’t hit for much power in limited time. Brian Holberton walked at a good rate but did not do much else at the plate. Jose Fernandez did not have a very good year at the plate and was subsequently demoted to Quad Cities.

Traditional statistics for the above players can be found here http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/cYote

Stay tuned for more covering the other Astros farm clubs.