Throw or Thump: What to do with Owings?

[ORS]

Micah Owings can hit. Really well.

 

I was following along on Gameday yesterday when Melvin brought in Owings to PH. He homered to put the D-Backs ahead. In a very small sample size (84 PA), his OPS is 1.044 with 5 HR. While it is a small sample, he can clearly swing the bat.

 

What should the D-Backs do with this guy? He's a good pitcher, and I guess he can contribute just about every game as a PH in the NL, which having a pitcher able to do it is a huge strategic advantage, but at some point you have to wonder about having him play every day. That, of course, brings up another question. Where does he play? Every position on the field is filled with talent right now for the D-Backs.

 

Interesting situation.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Nah, it's just cuz he's in the NL. In the AL, he'd hit under .100.

 

***

 

OK, maybe not.

 

ORS, I knew that Owings had enjoyed success as a batter in MLB, but I'd ascribed that to small sample size. Here's what I learned in five or ten minutes of research following your post:

 

1) While his MLB career is a small sample size, it's already big enough that binomial theorem suggests that we're 95% confident that he's a .265 hitter or better in MLB. A guy who hits .265 with power (and Micah Owings definitely has power) is good enough to earn a roster spot with his bat.

 

2) Although, again, it's a small sample size, his batting average shows exactly the type of drop I'd expect when pinch-hitting rather than starting, dropping from .366 to .250. He still posts a 1.025 OPS as a pinch hitter.

 

3) Although he has a high overall BABIP (.418), that's driven primarily by his hitting lots of line drives. He does enjoy a high .360 BABIP on ground balls, but so did Wily Mo when he played for us--power hitters hit line drives so hard that they drive through infields. Almost a quarter of his balls in play have been line drives--that's what's driving the high BABIP. Luck seems to be a lesser factor.

 

4) His minor league career batting line was .371/.375/.516, not too far from what he's doing right now.

 

5) (The big one). Check out this:

 

...leads C-USA in home runs and slugging percentage while ranking third in on-base percenatage, fourth in total bases, sixth in walks and ninth in batting average, offensively...as a pitcher, ranks second in the league in wins, strikeouts, strikeouts looking (39) and innings pitched, tied for third in wins, fourth in opponent batting average, and fifth in ERA...

 

http://tulanegreenwave.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/owings_micah00.html

 

Owings led his NCAA Conference in home runs and SLG while ranking second in wins and strikeouts.

 

***

 

Yeah, that batting ability is for real.

[ORS]

So what to do with him? I'm not trying to knock his pitching ability because he looks like a good enough pitcher (but no ace), but his bat seems to eclipse his arm. I'm generally of the opinion that you take the everyday player if things are equal, and this doesn't even look equal. Tough to understand what 'Zona is doing here.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Owings gives Arizona an extra bat on their bench if he's used as a starting pitcher 80% of the time. That's a big factor in the NL. Also, having him pitch gives Arizona a huge edge in their batting order those days, something on the order of a run. His career ERA is 4.17, but adding his bat makes it more like a 3.20 to 3.50 in total effectiveness as a player, and that's Cy Young-caliber for a starter. Furthermore, using him as a pinch-hitter between starts doesn't mess his rest too much but it leverages his single plate appearance tremendously: he got 15 RBI in just 60 AB last year, a rate of roughly 150 RBI for a nominal 600 AB season. Even Manny and Papi don't do that most years--they possibly get less critical average batting situations.

 

I'd let him pitch. Of course, YMMV.