Showing posts with label Nick Swisher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nick Swisher. Show all posts

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Pence vs. Swisher

Joel Sherman asked this morning (perhaps rhetorically):

When execs tell me #Astros want killer package for Pence, I wonder this: How much better is he than Swisher. Aren't both 6th-place hitters on good team. And would you give up killer package for Swisher?

Let's answer Sherman's question!

Pence: 28 years old, 672 games, lifetime .291/.339/.481, 515K:192BB, 118 OPS+
Swisher: 30 years old, 1000 games, lifetime .253/.359/.464, 875K:554BB, 116 OPS+

So Pence is younger, OPS is about the same, Pence has better AVG. Swisher has a higher OBP, less SLG.

In 2010-11:
Pence: .297/.339/.471, 123 OPS+, 185K:65BB
Swisher: .277/.362/.478, 125 OPS+, 208K:112BB

The question is: Who would you build a team around? A 28-year old hitter with a high AVG and SLG, who has been doing so with virtually no protection in the lineup, or a 30-year old hitter who plays marginal defense with a ton of protection.

I'll be honest, I thought this was a ridiculous question. But they're fairly similar players. Pence is from Texas, though, so he can automatically be trusted.