Jemile Weeks Added To Baltimore Orioles Roster
Mar 10, 2014; Bradenton, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman
Jemile Weeks(1) against the Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Orioles have added Jemile Weeks to the 25-man roster to bolster their infield choices in the wake of the oblique injury to Chris Davis. Weeks will trade places from AAA Norfolk with T.J. McFarland, who pitched three innings last evening. This brings the pitching staff back to the more normal total of 12 arms rather than 13.
For one, I certainly applaud this move, having been a long-term skeptic of Ryan Flaherty. Without doubt, Flaherty gives the Orioles more options as a plus-defender in varied positions, along with more occasional power. But Weeks has, in my view, the greater upside potential for much higher offensive production, especially with average, on base percentage, and speed.
Flaherty has struggled terribly to produce much offense for the Orioles thus far in 2014 (currently hitting .183, and .216 career), whereas Weeks has been ripping the ball quite well at Norfolk, hitting .296, and with 16 walks putting up an OBP of .451. Here are his numbers from there…
|
G
PA
AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
SB
CS
BB
SO
BA
OBP
2014 Norfolk
17
72
54
5
16
4
3
0
7
4
1
16
10
.296
.451
AAA Career
202
954
803
136
231
33
17
7
79
32
7
131
149
.288
.393
To review, here are Jemile Weeks’ numbers from his three years in Oakland. Obviously the Orioles would like to see him return to his form from 2011. There is certainly no guarantee that this could happen, though it seems to me that his chances of becoming an effective MLB player are enhanced by his undeniable athleticism. If he did it in the recent past and there is nothing physically different from that time, why can it not happen again in the right environment?
Year |
Age
Tm
Lg
G
AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
SB
CS
BB
SO
BA
OBP
SLG
2011
24
OAKAL
97
406
50
123
26
8
2
36
22
11
21
62
.303
.340
.421
2012
25
OAKAL
118
444
54
98
15
8
2
20
16
5
50
70
.221
.305
.304
2013
26
OAKAL
8
9
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
.111
.111
.111
3 Yrs
223
859
107
222
41
16
4
56
38
16
71
137
.258
.319
.357
Weeks is already off to a good start as an Orioles player. While I’ve written this post, he led off the game with a nine-pitch at bat and single, scoring the first run of the game. I like this guy and would like to see him in Baltimore for a while to come. Run Jemile, run.