Despite his mental gaffe last night in the bottom of the 9th inning at Petco Park and even with the realistic possibility Ian Desmond might commit over 30 errors at shortstop this season for Our Washington Nationals, he's still as exciting to watch as anyone that dons a Nats Uniform.
And worth keeping in the lineup on a daily basis.
First of all--his range fielding baseballs is as good as any middle infielder in the game. His athleticism allows Our Number 6 to reach and recover many hit balls that others would never have the chance to retrieve. That's something pitchers always appreciate.
But what has become special about this 24-Year Old Man is his ability to hit with runners in scoring position. Over the past week of play there has been at least four times that Ian Desmond stepped to the plate in a crucial situation and delivered with an rbi hit. His concentration during those moments never seems to waiver. Currently, Desmond is tied for 2nd in team RBI's for Washington, alongside Ryan Zimmerman (with 25) and only behind Josh Willingham's 34. Even more impressive, when you realize that Washington's starting shortstop is just a rookie.
Most everyone knew about Ian's adept fielding skills before he became a Major Leaguer. Few probably fathomed the Sarasota, Florida native would be so strong with his bat; clutch in fact. With more experience playing Big League Baseball, Ian Desmond will only improve. His errors will likely come down. And those RBI totals up.
Still unrefined at this point in his development, there is a finesse player hiding inside that 6'2" athletic frame of Ian Desmond. Prowess--just beginning to be tapped.
The good news is that when Danny Espinosa's offense catches up to his defense, Desmond can be shifted to second base. Espinosa is the better fielder by far.
ReplyDeleteEspinosa has excellent range and a terrific arm. And it's true that his offense needs to catch up to his defense. Espinosa and Desmond would be a nice middle infield for a few years to come. Add in Zimmerman and that's pretty solid.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey Kobernus is apparently on the fast track to the majors as well. Stephen Lombardozzi has been pretty consistent too at each level of the minors for Washington.