Sorry that this is a day late. I spent all weekend traveling between DC, Philly, and Baltimore, and there was no time for anything. Anyway, without further ado …
Arizona State University develops good ballplayers. Andre Eithier, Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler, Mike Leake, Ike Davis, Brett Wallace, and the indomitable Brooks Conrad have all called ASU home during their playing careers, and one of the newest additions to that club should be Jason Kipnis. Drafted first in the fourth round of the 2008 draft by San Diego, Kipnis was back in the 2009 draft and selected by the Cleveland Indians in the second round. Having gone back into the draft as a senior, Kipnis is already 24 years old, but with his talent, no one really cares.
Kipnis was well-regarded coming into the year. His full-season debut of .307/.386/.492 as a second baseman in High-A and AA caught everyone’s attention, and scouting publications placed Kipnis around 50th in their total rankings. With a .291/.375/.495 line in AAA, he continues to rake. His hit tool is obviously his best tool, but his power and approach have been very good as well. Defensively, he’s still a work in progress. Kipnis was an outfielder in college, and his iffy defense in center was a reason teams were wary of drafting him early. The Indians had the ingenious idea of moving him to second, and he has improved there. While he probably will never win a Gold Glove or Fielding Bible award, he’s plenty good enough there to make use of what should be an above-average bat at the position.
The question we must always ask ourselves is whether or not there’s an opening for him, and Kipnis’ situation may be one of the most confusing in the major leagues. Orlando Cabrera is hitting .248/.280/.330 and is just miserable. Luis Valbuena isn’t anything more than a utility player. And even if the next CBA doesn’t do away with the Super Two rule, Kipnis wouldn’t be in danger of it anyway at this point in the season. It doesn’t make any sense as to why he’s not up there, especially as the team is reportedly looking for more offense. The Indians are in a rather hotly-contested race for the AL Central, and they need all they can get from their team to win it. You could argue rookies aren’t good for pennant races, but A) that’s stupid to make those generalizations and B) Cabrera and Valbuena aren’t better options.
