Player Profile: Mike Napoli
September 30th, 2011 | by Ray Flowers |
If you don’t love yourself, who else will? Given that fact, here is a direct quote from my 2011 BaseballGuys.com Hitter Capsules from April 1st, 2011.
“For three years Mike Napoli has bashed his way to 20 homers despite an average of 354 at-bats a season. Few catchers can match his power. Adding the dimension of playing first base last season allowed him to post a career-high at-bat total, and one would think that if he ever was given 500 at-bats that he might be capable of posting that elusive 30 homer season.”
Napoli didn’t get those 500 at-bats. In fact, he didn’t even get 400. Hell, he didn’t even get 375 as he finished the year with 369 at-bats. I know he was hurt for a while there, but the Rangers horribly mismanaged him this season and as a result almost torpedoed what ended up being a magical season.
I don’t know if you noticed it, but Napoli hit 30 homers. Thirty. That’s a homer every 12.3 at-bats. If he had maintained that pace over 500 at-bats, and I’m pretty certain he couldn’t have, he would have hit 41 homers. As a result his .631 SLG was the best in baseball for a player who had at least 400 plate appearances. The power has always been his calling card, but in 2011 he also added a batting average.
Napoli, who had never hit better than .273 in a season and owned a career mark of .251 entering the year, hit .320. Not .230 but .320 (Joe Mauer owns a career mark of .323). He hit lefties (.319) and righties (.320), he hit at home (.307) and on the road (.332), and he hit at night (.318) and during the day (.324). He isn’t a .300 hitter, his BABIP this year was .344 or .041 points above his career rate, but he cut his strikeouts to a career low 19.7 percent of his at-bats, so he showed some improvement. Thanks to the lack of punchouts and a solid walk rate his BB/K mark was a well worth the price of admission at 0.68 leading to a superb .414 OBP (Mauer owns a career mark of .403). Amongst players with at least 400 plate appearances this year Napoli’s .414 mark was 5th best in baseball.
Adding his work getting on base and his ability to produce extra bases, Napoli posted a 1.046 OPS, the second best mark in baseball for a player with 400 plate appearances (Jose Bautista was 1st with a 1.056 mark).
So let’s put things in historical perspective. How many catchers in the 21st century have hit .320 with 30 homers an a 1.000 OPS? The answer is three.
.320-30-1.046 – Napoli this year
.324-38-1.012 – Mike Piazza in 2000
.328-43-1.065 – Javy Lopez in 2003
Piazza had 545 plate appearances.
Lopez had 495 plate appearances.
Napoli had 432 plate appearances.
Think it’s about time that (a) Napoli gets his due and (b) someone gives the guy 500 at-bats?
By Ray Flowers
Tags: Javy Lopez, Joe Mauer, Jose Bautista, Mike Napoli, Mike Piazza, Player Profile, Rangers
By Chad on Sep 30, 2011
Ray- Always been big on Napoli. When Scioscia chased him out of LAA it was a disaster. Scioscia never liked Nap’s which was too bad. He always favored Mathis and we know his stats. But to get rid of Napoli $6.5 mil for the aging and past his prime Wells $26.6 mil. unheard of! Glad he was able to stick it to the Angels the last series of the year. He now how the support and should get his due!
By Tommy Landry (@tommy_landry) on Sep 30, 2011
I agree whole heartedly and put my money where my opinion is – owned him in 2/3 of my leagues this year. 30 HR looks really good, but even better when he mashes 4 of them on the last 2 days of the fantasy playoff final round!
By Chad on Sep 30, 2011
Ray- One non baseball question. I have Gates out. Who would you rather have this weekend… McMichael or Fred Davis?
By Ray Flowers on Sep 30, 2011
Chad – Fred Davis. McMichael is nothing other than a seat warmer.
By Ray Flowers on Sep 30, 2011
Tommy L – Boom goes the dynamite eh?
By Ray Flowers on Sep 30, 2011
Chad – Yep, Napoli really stuck it to Scioscia didn’t he?
By Troy on Oct 1, 2011
Hi Ray,
I have a quick trade question for you. I’ve been offered Larry Fitzgerald for Matt Forte. Do you think this is enough for Forte?
My WR’s are currently Andre Johnson and then either Ochocinco, Devery Henderson, and Antonio Brown. RB’s remaining for me would be Hillis,Bradshaw, McGhee, and Benson.
Thanks for you insight.
Troy
By Matt K on Oct 1, 2011
Ray, I have thomas and he is out, what do you think about slayton in the flex? I also have burelson,colston, and gaffney i can put there. Let me know what you think, thanks.
By Ray Flowers on Oct 1, 2011
Matt K – Slaton is an awful stretch option. New to the team, same player as Bush. Go with Burleson.
By Ray Flowers on Oct 1, 2011
Troy – Forte for Fitz is a solid deal. You only have one WR that’s worth starting every week, not nearly enough – not even close. You have a decent backfield. In your situation, I think you have to take this deal.
By Troy on Oct 1, 2011
Ray – Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it and enjoy listening to you, Kay, and Kyle. By far the most infomative and enertaining show on XM87.
Thanks again,
Troy
By Eric on Oct 1, 2011
Napoli was the best kept secret in baseball from a fantasy perspective coming into this season. I drafted him in the 18th round as my first and only catcher and never looked back. Too bad that won’t fly again next year…
Football question: Roethlisberger or Fitzpatrick this week?
Love the Drive on XM! Thanks Ray!
By Ray Flowers on Oct 1, 2011
Eric- Yep, Napoli was a stud.
This week I would go with either really, both looking like top-10 options. I’d ride the hot hand of Fitzpatrick. So far the HOU defense has looked much improved, and that Steelers line isn’t doing a very good job of blocking right now.
Thanks for the kind words.
By Ray Flowers on Oct 1, 2011
Troy – We try to keep the show entertaining, funny an informative. Glad we seem to be hitting our mark most of the time.
By Matt Z on Oct 3, 2011
Loved Napoli but it was super hard to start him consistently in weekly formats due to the fact that he played every other game. Do you think he plays more next year? Don’t see how he couldn’t.
By Ray Flowers on Oct 3, 2011
Matt Z – If the Rangers don’t give him 500 at-bats next year, they might as well just give up playing the game.
If you didn’t start him in weekly leagues this year, even with the up and down nature of his playing time, you just shot yourself in the foot. He was always gonna hit 20 homers, and even if he only hit .250 that would be plenty to play him every single week in all leagues.
By Matt Z on Oct 3, 2011
O yeah, shot myself multiple times…was trying to juggle him and Wieters all season.