For the second game in a row Prince Fielder is sitting the bench. This is the first time in his career this has happened to him. He is also mired in the longest slump of his career.
Batting with a .187 average, with only 3 home runs in 54 starts is certainly something he has never experienced at any point in his life. Meanwhile, the young and hungry guys are performing incredibly well. Jurickson Profar, brought up to fill in for Roughned Odor while on suspension has had a hit in every single game. In fact if you look at the top hitters for the Rangers, it is not who you would expect.
Bobby Wilson is batting .317, Ian Desmond .310, Nomar Mazara .306, Ryan Rua .304, Elvis Andrus .298, Adrian Beltre .279, and Roughned Odor .267
Any manager in baseball plays the best nine available and all of these players are hitting and playing incredibly well.
Mitch Moreland is not hitting well either, with a .206 average he has to be wondering when Bannister is going to pull the string on him too, and with Shin-Soo Choo returning soon someone has to go.
All of these guys are great in the clubhouse, they are all motivated, they all have talent, especially the struggling veterans. Fielder is upset, but he understands, but you have to wonder how long this will last, and what could happen long term.
The reality is that the franchise has spent an enormous amount of money on the struggling veterans, but the young guys are playing better, and are pushing. It is a good problem to have, too much talent is like too much money.
Long term we all know that these young guys are the future of the team. Moreland, and Choo have some trade value, although a trade for Choo would necessitate the team paying his salary to play for someone else, just as the Angels are paying Josh Hamilton, and the Tigers do for Fielder. Still, trades are just one possibility.
My personal concern in Fielders case is that the decline started with his neck injury, and he just has never shown the raw power numbers since, and other than the first half of last season his consistency has disappeared as well. I also think he is using to narrow a bat, it looks like a toothpick in his hands. He is a big guy and it still looks small. I am not a professional swing doctor but it seems to me if you are missing by a little, and if you had a thicker bat maybe something better would happen with more wood on the ball.
I sure hate to see Fielder struggle, but I sure like seeing these kids play. Prince says his feelings are hurt, and I don’t blame him at all, but with the team competing for first place and trying to pile up all the wins it can right now, Jeff Bannister did the right thing. Time will tell if this is long term, or just a chance for him to reevaluate. I am rooting for him, and hope he turns it around, and odds are he will have his chances, after all 2/3rd’s of the season is still left to play.
