With the new “Sun Devil Baseball" sign behind them in center field, the 2015 ASU baseball team practices for the first time of the season on Jan. 23, 2015, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix. (J.Bauer-Leffler/The State Press)In the 2014 MLB postseason, we witnessed just how much of an impact a good outfield can have on a team’s success. Of course, we were privileged to see this in the form of the Kansas City Royals and their electric trio of Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson stealing away sure hits and roaming the alleyways of some of the league’s deepest ballparks.
College baseball, unfortunately, doesn’t yet have a wealth of information to quantify just how much ground an outfield can cover, and how many potential hits or runs they saved.
That doesn’t diminish the importance of having a solid last line of defense, however. With ASU moving into a former Cactus League Spring Training site, the ASU outfielders, while excited to have the opportunity to chase down balls that may have otherwise cleared the fence at Packard Stadium, will certainly be challenged against teams with warning track power that can split the gaps.
To give a sense of where Pac-12 teams are defensively, we’ve calculated defensive efficiency, which is essentially the rate at which balls put in play are successfully fielded. (For those who’d like a more in-depth explanation, including the formula used to calculate defensive efficiency, you’ll find Baseball Prospectus useful).
Pac-12 Defensive Efficiency 2014 (in percent):
1. Oregon State: 74.9 2. Stanford: 72.6 3. Washington: 71.8 4. UCLA: 71.7 5. California: 71.7 6. Oregon: 71.3 7. USC: 70.3 8. ASU 69.2 9. Arizona: 68.4 10. Washington State 67.9 11. Utah: 67.3
LEFT FIELD:
1. Jake Peevyhouse .290 BA / .399 OBP / .373 SLG
The senior lefty’s bat earned him a spot in the lineup last season, though he may not be as skilled defensively. (He did record 97 putouts and possesses a solid arm.) A reliable contact hitter, Peevyhouse won’t launch many balls over the Phoenix Muni fence (zero home runs in 2014) but he can be counted on to hit line drives to the wall – he should improve upon his 22 RBIs and 49 hits, 14 of which were doubles.
2. Chris Beall .305 BA / .344 OBP / .364 SLG
Surprisingly enough, Beall has apparently been deemed the best fit to start at first base this spring, though Beall started 23 games in left last year and seven at designated hitter. If the experiment fails, he’d likely shift back into a platoon role. Beall developed a reputation for delivering clutch hits last season, and even if he isn’t stellar at first, head coach Tracy Smith is likely banking on the fact that he can hide Beall in a spot that isn’t typically known for exceptional defense anyway.
CENTER FIELD:
1. Johnny Sewald .305 BA /.428 OBP /.350 SLG
A compelling argument can be made that Sewald was the team MVP last season, and should be a leading candidate for that honor again in 2015. One of the fastest outfielders in the Pac-12, Sewald boasts a strong arm, extensive range, has an explosive jump on the ball, and makes intelligent and quick reads.
A box-score bullion during his sophomore season, Sewald’s on-base percentage was among the top five in conference, as were his 16 stolen bases. Rounding out the junior Las Vegas product’s accomplishments from last season, Sewald was among the top 10 in hits (62), runs scored (44) and fielding percentage (.993) and top 15 in batting average. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to need a glass of water.
2. Ryan Lillard N/A
A late addition to our projected depth chart, though listed as an infielder on the roster, the freshman is versatile enough to play a utility role this season, and started in center for the maroon lineup in Saturday's scrimmage. He suffered an elbow injury and had surgery last June, but appears to be ready to go if needed to come off the bench. He could potentially see time during midweek games or to rest Sewald and is a good option to have in this spot as a prototypical leadoff-hitting outfielder who could be on track to take Sewald's spot in a year or two.
RIGHT FIELD:
1. Trever Allen .284 BA / .359 OBP / .456 SLG
Allen has a cannon for an arm — he recorded three outfield assists last year, totaling 18 in his two prior seasons as a starter. Allen spent some time hitting in the No. 2 spot in 2014 before then-coach Tim Esmay moved him down to No. 6. He’ll likely return there now that Drew Stankiewicz's graduation opened up his place in the batting order.
2. Coltin Gerhart
Gerhart would be wise to learn from any of the veteran Sun Devil outfielders on this roster, but Allen in particular, as another senior corner outfielder, could take the freshman under his wing.
He's truly the wild card of this group, especially because so much about his baseball potential is unknown. We do know he can hit for power, but at 210 pounds, he’s heavier (and probably slower) than any of the other outfielders on the roster. It’s difficult to see him cracking into the starting lineup this season.
Reach the reporter at smodrich@asu.edu or on Twitter @StefanJModrich.
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