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Much has been made in this early season of Jemile Weeks perhaps swinging for more power, having already matched his homerun total from last year at 2 in his 54 plate appearances so far. Is Jemile Weeks putting the ball in the air more often? Do you believe that this can lead to a player trying to increase his power numbers, and in the process, reduce his overall batting average and on-base percentage? Obviously it's too early to tell anything in the first 11 games of the season, especially against the quality of pitching the A's have seen, but I wonder if this does happen (outside of Major League II, that is).
Here is his start to the 2012 season:
| Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 |
| singled | fly out to deep center | singled | fly out to left |
| lined out to center | grounded out | struck out | line out |
| struck out | struck out | ground out | homerun |
| grounded out | walked | singled | fly out to left |
| struck out | grounded out | grounded out | |
| Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 | Game 8 |
| line out to center | fouled out to first | ground out | struck out |
| ground out | grounded out | lined out to left | walk |
| singled to center | fouled out to first | double to right | fly out to right |
| lined out deep center | struck out | ground out | |
| grounded out | home run | ||
| walked | |||
| Game 9 | Game 10 | Game 11 | Game 12 |
| fly out to center | ground out | fly out to center | ground out |
| pop out to center | single | fly out to right center | ground out |
| pop out to right | strike out | walk | ground out |
| ground-rule double | strike out | ground out | walk |
| strike out | |||
The A's need Jemile to get on base. Period. As a baserunner, he wreaks havoc on the bases, disrupts the pitcher, and turns singles into doubles (and sometimes even triples). And so far this season, Jemile has five walks, nine hits, and only one stolen base (one caught stealing). He has also struck out nine times. Of the outs he has made, 15 were groundouts, and 17 were in the air.
Are there any conclusions to be drawn from the start to the season? Is the A's offense struggling in part because of Jemile's slow start? What would be the ideal line for Jemile in a season? Is there anything you would have him do differently?
A's/Angels Game 3 tonight at 7:05PM.
