I'm glad for Naquin that he got 454 PA's - a career high. His previous high was 294. He also had his highest OBP, slugging %, and OPS since his rookie year of 2016. He's strictly a platoon outfielder at this point (350 AB's vs RHP's against only 61 against LHP's), but he hit righties at a .283/.853 clip and there is a market for that.
Interesting splits for Tyler; as a centerfielder he hit .239/.710 in 285 AB's, but in left and right field he hit .369 in 111 AB's with a much higher HR and RBI rate.
I absolutely believe players hit better when they are playing positions where they are more comfortable. For years Lonnie Chisenhall struggled to be a decent defensive third baseman. As soon as they moved him to the outfield his hitting improved drastically.
I'd like to see what Naquin does next year if he stays healthy and somebody lets him be a platoon corner outfielder.
Speaking of which, Franmil has looked pretty good in right, although he definitely doesn't get to the warning track on deep balls as quickly as Zimmer. I wouldn't mind seeing him out there a lot more next year if it improves his hitting. By doing that they can give Josie, Amed, and whoever plays second base occasional days off from playing in the field, which could help their hitting as well.
That short-armed throw he made yesterday was right on the money. I've been frustrated for some time by outfielders who miss the cutoff man and make throws to bases that are 15-20 feet wide of the bag. Franmil showed how it's done. Use a short arm action similar to an infielder and go for accuracy. He also used his glove to pick up the ball coming off the wall rather than grab it with his bare hand, which frequently results in a fumble. Really solid fundamentals and a strong, accurate throw.
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