The San Diego Padres went into spring training with serious questions at first base, but several players are supplying some serious answers. Gavin Sheets is one of them, and he’s currently the clubhouse leader to claim the dual role at first base and DH.
Sheets burst on the scene last season as a non-roster invitee, and he’s still hitting big blasts, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. The latest came yesterday against the Cincinnati Reds in the Padres 14-3 romp, and it was a three-run shot that was a result of Sheets’ efforts to be selective in his ongoing approach.
“The big thing for me has been controlling the strike zone, getting walks and being disciplined,” Sheets said. “You get swings like this and you build off the two of those things, you can really put the two of those things together.”
Sheets is essentially in a “hit or die” situation in this competition, which also features the likes of Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos, both of whom are in the running at first. Both new additions are putting together solid springs, and as Cassavell notes, they’re known for mashing against lefties.
That means two slots for three players, most likely, and in that scenario the left-hand hitting Sheets would start regularly against right handers and possibly come off the bench against lefties. Sheets seems fine with that, and he acknowledged the possible depth this arrangement would offer.
“We’re extremely deep,” Sheets said. “We’ve got pieces that can hurt you at any time in the game. We’ve got a dangerous lineup, and then we’ve got guys that, on any given night, can come off the bench and hurt you. That’s the recipe for a really good ballclub.”
New manager Craig Stammen is focused on a slightly different strength the arrangement offers, and it applies to the lineup as a whole.
“The way those guys are swinging the bats, the way they stand in the box, create havoc with the pitcher -- it lengthens our lineup, even when they’re not in our lineup,” said manager Craig Stammen.
The power factor should be taken with a grain of salt, however. The wind has been up in a lot of these games in Peoria, and when that happens, watching a fly ball is a lot like taking in the ascent of a hot air balloon. Spectators picnicking on behind the fences are often forced to scatter, lest they wind up with a home-run ball in their beer cup. It’s still a welcome development, though, and it’s made this particular positional battle that much more entertaining.