Daily Graphing – A.J. Pierzynski

A.J. Pierzynski will remain with the White Sox after agreeing on a 3 Year, $15 million dollar contract. Last year, he was 6th in home runs among all catchers, and only 4 home runs away from the leader, Jason Varitek. Despite the career high in home runs, his batting average dropped to a career low of .257. Up until two years ago he was a career .300 batter, but things have slipped the past couple years. Let's see if his current power will continue, and if his batting average will remain in the dumpster.

Oddly enough, his walk to strikeout ratio (BB/K) has been a bit on a rise, but what's going on against lefthanded pitchers? His BB/K against lefties really has been zero the past two years. In the past four years he's only had 3 walks against lefties in 433 plate appearances. This pretty much gives him the honor of being the least disciplined batter against lefties in all of baseball over the past four years. His league worst on base percentage of .258 isn't even a good batting average. Lefties aside, his overall rise in BB/K doesn't explain why his batting average has tanked the past two years, but his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) does.

The year his BABIP dropped was the year he left the Twins. There's nothing in his home/away splits to suggest he played better at the Metrodome, so we can rule out a change in scenery. He did however experience a drop in line drive percentage and an increase in fly balls in 2004. From 2002-2003 he hit a very high 25% of his balls for line drives. Then in 2004-2005 he hit only 20% of his balls for line drive, while he showed an increase in his fly balls by about 5%. Chances are in 2005, while playing at U.S. Cellular Field, a few of those extra fly balls became home runs.

It looks like A.J. Pierzynski has sacrificed his average for power. Playing the next three seasons for the White Sox is only good news for his power numbers. His batting average on the other hand doesn't look like it's going to recover without a loss in power unless he can improve his plate discipline, especially against lefties. I'd suggest the White Sox sit him against lefties, but their backup catcher Chris Widger isn't any better, that is unless prospect Chris Stewart becomes a viable option.