Padres Breakout And Regression Candidates
- Updated: March 22, 2015
Spangenberg could have a big year as a utility infielder in 2015 (Image via Twitter)
With Spring Training in full swing and Opening Day a few weeks away, it’s the perfect time to profile some breakout and regression candidates for the Padres in 2015.
Breakout
Will Venable. Venable, a career .252/.316/.414 hitter, had a down year in 2014 after several years of decent production earning everyday playing time in right and center field. And now, with Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, and Justin Upton on the roster, Venable’s everyday playing time is all but gone.
However, he’s a better player than he showed last year, and he’ll settle back into a utility role for the club with the three new starting outfielders in place. Venable is valuable as a left-handed bat, too; on paper barring another move, he’s the only left-handed outfield bat the Padres have. He wont approach the 448 plate appearances he had in 2014 again this year, but expect him to progress and be a worthwhile fourth outfielder.
Cory Spangenberg. Spangenberg, a first-round pick in 2011, broke in with the Padres in 2014 and hit .290/.313/.432 across 65 PAs in 20 games. Small sample size, of course, but his two doubles, triple, and two home runs in 62 at-bats stood out for the second basemen who thus far has been a .296/.356/.405 minor league hitter across 1,665 PAs.
The infield is a weak spot for the Padres as has been well documented, so Spangenberg deserves to see time at second and third at the big league level. Depending on how Will Middlebrooks and Jedd Gyorko do, Spangenberg could be a prime candidate to break out as an impact utility player or starter for the Padres this summer.
It’ll be very tough for Benoit to retain last year’s dominance in 2015 (Image via Twitter)
Regression
Joaquin Benoit. This is meant as no disrespect to Mr. Benoit, who has been a very solid reliever for a very long time. But put simply: it’d be hard to be as dominant as Benoit was last year. Across 53 games (54.1 innings) of work, Benoit only allowed 28 hits (!!) and 14 walks, good enough for a 0.77 WHIP, while striking out 10.6 batters per nine innings and recording 11 saves to go along with a 225 ERA+.
If he can do that again, as a soon-to-be 38-year old, the Padres will be in great shape in the bullpen. Even if he can’t, a solid season on his end will more than do the job for the Friars.
Matt Kemp. Kemp fought through significant injury concerns in 2012 and 2013, and finally got healthy in 2014, slugging 25 home runs and hitting .287/.346/.506 in 541 PAs. Now, he finds himself in a pitcher-friendly park with a much larger outfield in which to cover ground that might impact his body across an entire season, and will surely impact his bat. He also finds himself with arthritis in his hips, and though the Padres knew about it when they made the trade and pulled the trigger anyways, soon-to-be 31-year old Kemp isn’t getting younger.
He’ll have to lead the offensive resurgence the Padres are hoping for this season, but another 25 home runs and a .506 slugging percentage would be surprising considering the Padres home park and offensive struggles.
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