Friday, February 26, 2010

Lancaster JetHawks: Koby Clemens

Koby Clemens
How did he get here?: Drafted, 8th Round (2005)
Stats: 5'11", 193 lbs, Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Age as of April 1, 2010: 24

2009 Overview (with five games at Corpus)




ABAvg/OBP/SLGK:BBXBH-RBIXBH/H%K/PA%
440.341/.415/.620111:5473-12348.7%21.6%


Career (2005-09)




ABAvg/OBP/SLGK:BBXBH-RBIXBH/H%K/PA%
1690.278/.367/.462420:222190-29340.4%21.2%


What happened?

This was obviously the breakout year that Clemens had been waiting for. He doesn't really have a position, and will try a whole bunch of them as he moves to Corpus in 2010. A few things to note, before we get into the Lancaster Effect on his stats: His XBH/H rate increased in 2009, but not dramatically (40% to 48%), and his K/PA rate stayed largely the same.

It is worth mentioning that, while Clemens hit .352/.425/.662 at Lancaster, he also hit .338/.412/.610 on the road, and had more extra-base hits on the road than he did at Lancaster.

What went right?

A whole lot of things, but let's discuss three: (1) "Clutch" situations. With the bases empty, Clemens hit .287/.364/.587. With runners on, he hit .406/.472/.739, and with RISP, Clemens hit .447/.494/.837. (2) Post-ASG. Clemens got better as the year went on. Pre-ASG, Clemens it .313/.389/.497 with 22 extra-base hits in 47 games. After the ASG, Clemens hit .365/.437/.723 with 51 XBHs (19 homers, compared to three pre-ASG). (3) BABIP. Clemens benefited from a .412 BABIP, which is ridiculously high, meaning he learned how to hit to the gaps (his doubles rose from 29 in 2008 to 45 in 2009), or his groundballs found holes. While 2009 was a surprise, 2010 is crucial to his status as a prospect.

What went wrong?

How do you even pick this? Don't know? Neither do I.