Last week, Derek, our Senior Editor, asked me to take on the responsibility of being ESR’s “hot take” artist. I love hot takes almost as much as I love hotcakes, so I was quick to say yes. We agreed to turn it into a series called “Hot Take Tuesday” in order to keep a bit of consistency. There are 26 Tuesdays during the regular season which means I need to come up with 26 not-so-popular views to discuss in order to ruffle some feathers. I’m up for the challenge.
So, without further ado, I present the first edition of Hot Take Tuesday!
The Legend of Joey Rickard grew exponentially this spring, as the Rule 5 selection from Tampa Bay posted a .397 batting average, good for fifth in the American League. His .472 spring on base percentage was bettered by only Mike Trout and Yunel Escobar. These numbers helped earn the 24-year-old not only a spot on the 25-man roster, but a place in the starting lineup on Opening Day.
Rickard took full advantage of his opportunity, notching base hits in each of his first two at bats. He singled up the middle in his first career plate appearance and led off the fifth inning by poking an opposite field double in his second. With the go-ahead run on second base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and the change to be a hero in his major league debut, Rickard was caught looking at a fastball on the outside corner. He ended the day 2-for-4.
The most appealing thing to me about Rickard’s base knocks is that they both came with two strikes. He shortened his swing and simply put the ball in play, which is a lesson that many of our other guys could stand to learn. The 2015 Baltimore Orioles posted a cumulative .168 average last season with two strikes. In the American League, only the Texas Rangers were worse in those situations.
Rickard certainly has made a name for himself in his short time with the Orioles organization. As part of the Tampa Bay Rays organization, he was known for his ability to get on base, which is something the Orioles desperately needed. Rickard will certainly help this team moving forward but I want to make sure O’s fans keep their expectations in check.
Joey Rickard is not the next Mike Trout. He’s not the next Adam Jones, and he’s probably not even the next Nick Markakis. Until he proves that he can continue to hit major league pitching at a consistent level over the course of a few months, he’s nothing more than a fourth outfielder with a hot bat.
Put your pitchforks down. I like Joey Rickard. I like him a lot. He’s a solid player and he’s absolutely owning the opportunity he has right now. That being said, I need to see more from the youngster before I consider him an everyday player.
I expect Rickard to start about 70 games this season, splitting time with Hyun-Soo Kim and Nolan Reimold. In those 70 games, I’m thinking we could see a slash line somewhere along the lines of .278/.361/.402.
Should we keep starting him while he’s swinging the bat well? Absolutely.
Should he be the Orioles’ representative at the All-Star Game in July? Don’t get ahead of yourselves.
Besides, the Orioles already have a savior and his name is #CHRISTDAVIS.
5 Responses
If StrikeOut King CD is the O’s savior then start bailing the ship now.
Joey Rickard is a winner and has a history of winning so look for him to rise to any situation thrown at him
Your article was interesting until the statement that Chris Davis was Jesus Christ which insults Christians and was totally unnecessary.
Saying Rickard will only start 70 games is ludicrous. Most people,including Buck from the things he has said expect Joey to be our leadoff hitter sooner rather than later. Leadoff hitters don’t just play 70 games. Rickard has been an On Base beast at every level, why should it be different now.
It is not up to you or any fan to determine whether or not he is or is not a savior. He very well could possibly be and has shown the skills to be able to put the bat on the ball. However, writers like you will spout off about Davis, who leads the universe in strikeouts or Jones, who if we remember his first couple years would chase sliders and swing at balls that hit 5 feet in front of the plate. He doesn’t have a big time name or pedigree at this point, but his raw talent exceeds a lot of that we see from seasoned veterans that this writer will claim are the greatest things since sliced bread.