In previous seasons the Javelina offense has been lifeless and without punch, and the team has finished at or near the bottom of the standings as a result of that ineptitude. This season, GM Jamie Hoyle decided to place a large emphasis on improving the offense through trades and the draft - the new approach seems to be paying off.
Though some owners snickered when Hoyle tabbed 1B Adrian Gonzalez with his first pick in the draft, he was quick to point out that it was just the first step in a larger scheme to pump life into his team's lineup. Rather than relying on pitching, Hoyle was determined to build this team around run production. Gonzalez, along with Carlos Quentin, Dan Uggla and Justin Morneau have been on early season tears while some of their teammates worked out of early funks.
Perhaps the most surprising returns have come from Quentin, who was drafted as an essential after thought in the 19th round of January's draft. Quentin currently ranks among league leaders in HR (7th), RBI (5th), OB% (11th), SLG (12th) and OPS (11th). He has also contributed four stolen bases.
"When we drafted Quentin, there weren't many everyday outfielders left on the board," recalled Hoyle. "We felt he had the greatest upside, and logic dictated that the Sox would not have traded for him if he wasn't going to get a chance to play. We actually told one GM, who had been eyeing Quentin with his next pick, that we had high hopes for him despite his draft position."
What's more; the production of this lineup has the Javelina ranking among eMLB league total offensive leaders in several key categories. Thanks largely to Uggla, Quentin, Gonzalez, Ichiro and Morneau; the team ranks 4th in homeruns; 5th in runs and steals; 6th in walks; and 8th in batting average and rbi.
How have these numbers translated to wins; you ask? The Javelina have amassed a 31-14-3 record in their last four matchups, including a record of 19-4-1 in their last two, and currently hold the league's fifth best record. Of course, it hasnt hurt that the team's surpior ability to scout pitching has also netted them one of the most productive pitching rotations in the league, which has been led by Edinson Volquez (6-1, 1.12, 54K), Shawn Marcum (4-2, 2.22, 49K, 0.81 WHIP), Javier Vazquez (3.53 ERA, 58K), and Dan Haren (5-2, 0.98 WHIP, 45K).
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