Cleveland Indians: 3 players who could have a breakout year
By Chad Porto
Jake Bauers
Consistency, not so much talent, is Jake Bauer’s biggest issue. At only 24-years-old, he’s still awfully young and shouldn’t be viewed as a finished product just yet. He could be someone who offers a great deal of versatility. Bauers can play first base or in the outfield, so if someone struggles, he could fill in and not really cause too much of a disruption to the lineup.
Bauers has the power to make an incredible impact but has to be able to stay consistent and make each plate-appearance. He nearly averaged a strikeout per game, which is just awful. Only Bauers, Roberto Perez, and Carlos Santana broke 100 strikeouts last year. Santana however had 1/3 more at-bats than either man and had fewer strikeouts than both. If Bauers wants to remain in the rotation for outfield/first-base work, he’s got to cut down on the number of strikeouts he commits.
His patience at the plate was a problem beyond just his strikeouts. He rarely ever worked a count well enough to warrant a base on balls. Of all players with 300 at-bats, only Jason Kipnis and Oscar Mercado had fewer walks. He also finished last in OPS among batters who had 300 at-bats with the Tribe in 2019.
Bauers has the power to make an impact but if he can’t stay consistent at the plate, and not be so eager, he’s going to be in trouble. Thankfully though, his immaturity at the plate could be a symptom of his youth. He was one of the youngest players on the club, and with more experienced and more time with a major league hitting coach, hopefully, Bauers can put his potential and talent together to become a quality and consistent player.