Who Am I?
Andrew Aplin
Center Field
Age: 26
Height: 6′ 0″
Weight: 205
Bats left, throws left
How Did I Get Here?
Aplin was Houston’s 5th round draft pick in 2012 out of Arizona State. He was added to the 40-man roster after the 2015 season.
Contract status:
Aplin has two option years remaining.
Why Am I Here?
The hope is that Aplin will develop in to the classic good glove, good OBP, speedy center fielder type that people have idealized since the days of Vince Coleman.
What Are My Strengths?
Aplin has shown great discipline in most of his time in the minors, posting OBP north of .370 in every season before 2016. He is reputed to be a strong fielder, holding his own well in center field in the minors.
What Are My Weaknesses?
Aplin has absolutely no power whatsoever – his slugging percentage is usually under is on base percentage. To make matters worse, he absolutely cratered at the plate in 2016, posting a .223/.300/.318 line at AAA. It’s one thing to see that from a player in his first exposure at the level, but Aplin already had 100+ games at AAA in the previous two seasons.
Loves to hit: You know what? If a guy is barely making the Mendoza line in his second full tour of AAA, I think we can skip this section. Suffice it to say, any type of major league pitching will likely eat him alive right now.
What is my future with the Astros?
Aplin will need a big bounce back in 2017 at the plate to avoid the dreaded “designated for assignment.” If he can do that, he could carve out a niche for himself on the bench if/when Marisnick becomes too expensive for a backup outfielder.
What is my projected 2017 performance?
| PA | BA | OBP | SLG | H | HR | RBI | SB | CS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 (AAA) | 447 | .223 | .300 | .318 | 89 | 5 | 32 | 21 | 9 |
| PECOTA | 60 | .226 | .315 | .320 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| ZIPS | 472 | .221 | .300 | .303 | 92 | 5 | 35 | 18 | 7 |
| MMWAG | 20 | .167 | .250 | .167 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Who else would I remind you of?
Ah, the classic “if he could only get on base” center fielder… it reminds me of the glory days of Gerald Young and Eric “Cool Breeze” Yelding. If Aplin had a nickname nearly as fabulous as “cool breeze”, he’d have a better chance of sticking around in my opinion.