Chris Duffy

2005 key stats: .341/.385/.429
2006 ZiPS: .287/.338/.384

Here's another tough one to predict, Duffy lit it up for a couple months last year and everyone fell in love with him but it's completely unrealistic to expect anything remotely near that this year. He put up a gaudy batting average, but he only had 7 extra base hits in his 136 PAs. He only has one year's experience above AA, and it was a shortened season at that. He struck out more than three times more than he walked. None of these are things that bode well for 2006.

In terms of non-offensive categories, he's got blazing speed and with the exception of last year at AAA, he's got a good SB%. He covers centerfield unlike anyone that has graced center at PNC and I think we have to go back to the namesake of this blog to find anyone that's played center for the black and gold like he can. He was certainly a favorite of the BBTN guys last year in his short time up and I'd expect that to continue next year.

When you get down to it, he's hard to pin a prediction on, mostly because his AAA numbers last year and his AA numbers the year before were very good, but in his first year a AA he had a difficult time adjusting (see the above link to WTM's site for the full minor league stats). I think he'll hit well enough next year to justify a spot on the team (especially with his glove), but I really doubt he'll be good enough to justify the leadoff spot that Tracy will probably blindly stick him in all year. I'm looking for a .280/.325/.385 year out of the Duffster next year.