205/.282/.368 (84 wRC+) line and -0.2 WAR from a Stephen Piscotty/ Seth Brown platoon and other special guests. The good news is that even if Marte regresses towards the 112 wRC+ we’ve projected him for over the remainder of this season, that’s still miles better than what the A’s have gotten from their right fielders: a. Thanks in part to his 83rd percentile speed, he’s outdoing his xBA, xSLG, and xwOBA by wider margins than ever. His average exit velocity - which is lower than any of his Statcast-era seasons save for his PED suspension-shortened 2017 - and hard-hit percentile rankings are meager (16th and 35th percentiles, respectively), though his barrel rate is a more robust 55th percentile. Marte is hitting the ball on the ground more than at any time since his abbreviated rookie season in 2012, and pulling the ball less frequently than ever. Here’s a look at his recent body of work: It’s questionable whether Marte can sustain his current level of production, given both that his strong numbers are based on just 64 games, as he missed 39 in April and May due to a non-displaced rib fracture, and that he’s actually not hitting the ball very hard.
At the same time, his numbers in the Heart zone have become less impressive, from +10 (2018) and +13 (2019) to +4 last year and then +1 this year. Marte’s numbers in the Shadow zone have improved considerably over the years, from an average of -11 runs from 2014-19 to -8 runs last year to +1 this year. Here’s a quick look at his Statcast swing/take breakdown:
His 10.3% swinging strike rate is a career low. He’s swinging at a career-low 31.9% of pitches outside the zone, down over seven percentage points from last year, and 4.6 points below his career mark. Driven by newfound plate discipline, he’s walked in 11.6% of his plate appearances, more than double his career rate his on-base percentage and 140 wRC+ both represent career highs. 305/.405/.451 with seven homers and 22 steals en route to 3.3 WAR. On the positive side of the ledger for Oakland, Marte is in the midst of one of his best seasons with the bat, hitting. The Marlins reportedly sent along $4.5 million to cover the entirety of Marte’s remaining salary in order to add Luzardo to their stable of young arms.
JESUS LUZARDO FULL
The 23-year-old Luzardo is a former third-round pick who entered the 2020 season as the number six prospect on Eric Longenhagen’s list, but after a solid rookie season, he’s struggled so much that he was demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas long enough to delay his free agency he has five full seasons of club control remaining. The 32-year-old Marte, who has now been traded three times in the past 18 months including near consecutive deadlines, is in the final option year of a six-year extension that he signed with the Pirates in March 2014, so he’s just a two-month rental. On Wednesday they did just that, albeit at a significant cost, acquiring Marlins outfielder Starling Marte and cash in exchange for promising but underperforming lefty Jesús Luzardo.įor the A’s - who entered Wednesday at 57-46, six games back in the AL West but two games ahead in the race for the second AL Wild Card spot - this is a bold, win-now move whose full ramifications might not be felt for years. In last week’s Replacement Level Killers series, I highlighted the A’s subpar production both at shortstop and right field, noting that while the Rockies’ Trevor Story made particular sense for Oakland in light of how set most other contenders are at shortstop, the team was instead prioritizing adding a bigger outfield bat.