Carlos Beltran has never homered in 96 career at-bats at AT&T Park.
But that stat by itself doesn't tell the whole story.
Beltran is a lifetime .310 hitter at the park on the shores of San Francisco Bay, and in the last three seasons he's hit .375 there in 40 at-bats with a .600 slugging percentage and a 1.032 OPS. His batting average at AT&T Park is the highest out of any ballpark in which Beltran has 25 or more career at-bats.
This accomplishment by Beltran is quite a feat considering it came against the likes of two-time Cy Young Award-winner Tim Lincecum and company.
While Beltran hasn't homered at the home of the Giants yet, he has hit seven doubles and a triple there since 2008. Those extra base hits account for over half of his hits (15) at AT&T.
The sight of Carlos Beltran in a Giants uniform is one more reason the Giants are happy to play at the corner of 3rd and King Streets in San Francisco.
The defending champions have played in front of 50 straight sell-out crowds, have a 32-18 home record, and now have a No. 3 hitter that loves to hit in his new home park.
With Beltran's speed, the spacious right-center field at AT&T could create a real dilemma for opposing managers.
If Beltran hits a ball into "Triples Alley", as it is known to the locals, he'll easily be standing at third with Pablo Sandoval coming up behind him.
If opposing defenses set up to take away the gap in right-center, Beltran will have the right field line open, and is a good enough hitter to exploit such a defensive shift.
Beltran also likes hitting during the stretch run, having posted a .326 batting average during the month of September dating back to 2008.
Add to all of those numbers the incentive of playing for a team with a legitimate chance to reach the World Series, something that Beltran hasn't tasted since 2006, and Beltran could be a real game-changer for San Francisco's offense as the Giants push forward toward the postseason.
When the Giants return to AT&T Park on August 1, they will return with a new third place hitter, and we can expect an ovation from a packed house for San Francisco's new No. 15.
And based on the numbers, No. 15 won't disappoint his new hometown fans.
New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen