San Francisco Giants Pitcher Projections… As Hitters
Jeff Samardzija has spent the last season-and-a-half in the American League, but still managed to post an impressive .500 batting average (that came in just two at-bats, but eh, details). He has a reputation as not an awful hitter, and sort of in the territory between Bumgarner and Cueto. He owns a career .130 average, but does have five doubles, two home runs, and 10 runs batted in. In his all-star season of 2014, he enjoyed his most success, both as a pitcher and a hitter, hitting .176 with three doubles and driving in three runs before a midseason trade away from the Chicago Cubs.
The “Shark” is a big, strong young man, a fantastic athlete, and has a pretty good-looking swing as well. He has a short stride to the ball, and has no problems with taking a healthy rip at a pitch. He certainly looks like he knows what he’s doing at the plate, and that’s a good start.
Taking some tips from Bumgarner could help Samardzija drive that batting average up a little bit, but it will probably take a bit of time to get a consistent swing back after spending a lot of time in the American league. Maybe he can even put one in Triple’s Alley and show off some of the speed that made him an All-American wide receiver at Notre Dame.
Projections:
Average – .152
Doubles – 1
Home Runs – 1
RBI – 2
Runs – 3
Sacrifices – 11
Next: Jake Peavy