Reasons for Hope...Offense

While most "pundits" have the Springfield Flying Squirrels of Republic at or near the bottom of the pre-season rankings, there are some reasons for hope. Upon analysis of the Squirrels' draft, a common theme becomes apparent. GM Anson drafted towards youth and potential. Most players on the Squirrels' roster have room to significantly improve their numbers from a season ago, with the obvious exception of Robinson Cano. The following is an upbeat and "good to best case scenario" for the Squirrels' roster this year. Why not? All the negatives are out there...might as well give the fans some hope. (avg/hr/rbi/sb/r/bb)

Offensive Draft Picks

1. Brett Lawrie- Showed pop, speed, and a maturity at the plate that should carry over to 2012. Will get 550 AB's if healthy. (.285/23/85/30/85/50)
2. Freddie Freeman- Looks to be more consistent than Heyward and shouldn't suffer much of a sophomore slump. (.290/24/90/5/85/50)
3. JP Arencibia- Worst case, this is a 20HR/60RBI catcher. Best case, his minor league numbers show improvement in average after a year at each level. (.230/26/80/0/55/35)
   
4. Colby Rasmus- Will he ever harness all the talent? Let's pretend this is the year...kind of. (.265/22/75/12/65/55)
5. J.D. Martinez- A lot of potential here, with a nice season already under his belt in zero pressure Houston. (.290/15/85/2/70/40)
6. Dayan Viciedo- A forgotten top prospect whose path was cleared by Quentin's departure. Big time power potential and an improving eye. (.268/20/60/3/60/35)
7. Mike Trout- The much maligned, TOP PROSPECT...already with some MLB experience. The Halos didn't spend all those $$ on Pujols and Wilson to win in a few years. Trout is ready, and Vernon Wells and Bobby Abreu are old and ass. (.274/14/55/28/65/45) OR (.270/18/65/35/85/60)
   
8. Robinson Cano- Listed here, because there isn't any room to grow...if anything, he may regress slightly. (.299/25/100/5/100/40)

Extensions

1. Dan Uggla- Needed a 33 game hitting streak to hit .233 last year. He's better than that. Not monumentally better...but still. (.258/35/102/3/90/65)
2. Jimmy Rollins- Last year was about right on for Rollins. Expect similar...maybe a slightly better average. (.270/15/70/60/25/55)

When looking at these projected numbers, it is easy to get excited about a potentially powerful team. The question becomes whether or not the team can swipe enough bags and hit for a high enough average to compete in weeks when the power fails. The infield is very likely to produce at the clip listed above, it is the OF that will have to surprise people if the Squirrels are to be anything but an afterthought in 2012. Granted, a lot of things would have to go the right way for this squad to succeed, but that one word comes to mind again...almost a curse word in the eMLB...potential.