Damn Alex Gonzalez for giving us hope. OK. Maybe that was overdoing it, but A-Gon is not nearly the batter he has shown since being traded to Boston from Cincinnati.
For the type of hitter fans expected to get in the trade, there’s no doubt Alex Gonzalez has endeared himself to fans with his recent performance. With all the shortstop troubles the team has had since Nomar and Orlando Cabrera left, a competent stopgap is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Though A-Gon has always been good with the glove, his proficiency with the stick has always been in question – and for good reason. His career .247/.293/.396 line is quite low for a major league regular, even at shortstop.
Yet, somehow, Gonzalez seems to have his best performances while in a Boston uniform.
As a Red Sock in ’09, A-Gon has put together one of the best stretches of his career, second only to his 2007 campaign with Cincinnati when he batted .272/.325/.468. In 91 at-bats in Bean Town, Gonzalez has put up a .286/.286/.495 line, with 4 home runs against 19 Ks (but zero walks).
While hot streaks are all well and good, don’t get used to this offensive prowess.
The power is not “real” in the sense that he’ll continue the pace, though he does have enough pop for double-digit homers in a full season (he even hit 23 in 2004 for the Marlins.) His poor plate discipline numbers are more indicative of the type of hitter Gonzalez is, as he has walked in only 4.3 percent of his plate appearances throughout his career, while striking out in 20 percent.
With Boston, he has yet to earn a free pass, while striking out NINETEEN times. Even Miguel Olivo would laugh at that ratio.
For a guy without much power, he hits far too many fly balls, at 45.9 percent on his career, and 45.4 percent this year. His overall power numbers are down slightly for 2009, as his homeruns per flyball rate is down. For an aging player, that is something to worry about, though his recent power surge should put those fears to rest.
The bottom line, and this shouldn’t be shocking to anyone, is that Alex Gonzalez is just a stopgap – and anyone hoping for a late-career revelation will only have their dreams dashed.
Don’t get caught up in the hype. Alex Gonzalez is Alex Gonzalez. Expect his numbers to slow down considerably from here on out. Just don’t get angry when it happens.
