J.D. Drew is hotter than Heidi Watney in a dress

by Randy Booth on Aug 28, 2009 1:28 PM EDT in News

There's been a huge spotlight over David Ortiz lately because of his power antics and "surge" since June 1.

But then there's J.D. Drew who arguably has been even better than Ortiz as of late. Before the season is over, we might be thinking of Drew more like the June 2008-version than the July 2009.

If that's true, this team is getting into the playoffs and making a splash while they're at it.

After starting August off 2 for 16, in his last 15 games, Drew has been on fire:

AB	HR	RBI	BB/SO	AVG/OBP/SLG
47	6	9	9/9	.383/.482/.809

That span includes a 4 for 4 game against the Blue Jays on Aug. 20. He also had two home runs and three RBIs. He's had two two-home run games in this recent stretch.

Unfortunately for Drew, he's been hitting toward the bottom of the lineup while on this stretch, so it really hasn't panned out to a lot of RBIs. He has six home runs, but just nine RBIs to show for it.

Drew has hit in every spot in the lineup except for 4th over the course of the season. Since moving to the 8-hole -- which really wasn't a demotion of any sorts, just the lineup getting healthy -- Drew has been stupid good.

In 13 at-bats hitting 8th, five of his seven hits have been home runs. His OPS is 2.292 in the 8-hole. Yeah, small sample size, but it's still crazy to see that kind of production in just 13 at-bats. Drew's 13 at-bats in the 8-hole has resulted in 4 more home runs than Ortiz's 178 at-bats between April and May.

With this recent surge from Drew, all I can think of is June 2008.

Last year, Drew made himself an MVP candidate by hitting .337 with 12 home runs in the month of June. At the end of the month, he was hitting .303 with 16 home runs on the season. After that, his season fell off due to injuries. He came back to play in all 11 games of the playoffs, but couldn't replicate June.

Now it seems like Drew could be pulling off another June ... except in August/September.

If Drew continues to hit like this, it'll be hard for Terry Francona to keep him in the 8-hole. No matter where he hits, though, he's going to provide a huge spark to this club. While it'd be ideal for runners to be on base while he hits these home runs, the bottom line is that a home run is a home run. It's scoring that the Sox need.

Drew is a catalyst and he might just put this team on his back and bring them to October.

Tweet Comment 55 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I agree JD is pretty hott! Ha. JD is under-rated big time. He’s going to continue to produce and help us to a world series championship!!

by jgonzales19 on Aug 28, 2009 1:46 PM EDT reply actions

He’s only underrated when he’s healthy. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best hitters around and plays pretty good defense too. The problem is that since he signed with the Sox, he’s only had a month here or there when he’s been both healthy and not distracted by his son’s severe medical problems.

by RSNexile on Aug 28, 2009 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Best post title ever

But about moving him up in the order, I’d be reluctant to moving him. His success could very well be due to him batting down in the order, and we’ve desperately needed our bottom third of the lineup to get going.

"Well let me just quote the late-great Colonel Sanders, who said...'I'm too drunk to taste this chicken.' "
-Ricky Bobby

by nepats108 on Aug 28, 2009 2:10 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed. Between him and Gonzales, we no longer have a bunch of automatic outs at the bottom of the lineup. But if Ellsbury has to miss some time for his ankle, I think you have to move Pedroia to leadoff and hit JD second.

by RSNexile on Aug 28, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Enjoy Gonzo while he is hitting..........

by upCHUCK on Aug 28, 2009 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions

This.

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Aug 28, 2009 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, I know

I’m hoping that by the time he starts hitting like himself, the rest of the team is back where they ought to be.

by RSNexile on Aug 28, 2009 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Post title is amazing

But I admit, a lie.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Aug 28, 2009 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions

The bottom of the order was good with Ellsbury there

Ellsbury’s success—or whatever you want to call this year—has not been at the top of the order. Overall, Ells is hitting .298 AVG/.343 OBP/.407 SLG. He has hit .294 AVG/.328 OBP/.388 SLG as a lead-off hitter so far this year ( .272 AVG/.298 OBP/.333 SLG leading-off the game, and .257 AVG/.293 OBP/.402 SLG leading-off innings). Those aren’t great numbers. However, hitting 7th/8th, Ells has been great: .356 AVG/.407 OBP/.480 SLG.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Aug 28, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

You have to look at the sample sizes though

He didn’t play nearly as many games out of the 8 spot as he did out of the leadoff. As such, the numbers, while they appear staggering, to me there is too much of a discrepancy between games played out of each spot to compare them fairly. He’s also showing signs of improvement when it comes to plate discipline at the top spot.

I know it's early, but it's never too early for a little optimism and hope. All I know is that Soxtober is the best month of the year.

by BHeebs on Aug 29, 2009 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions

These streaks are exactly what make JD so damn frustrating.

The guy gets in a groove and makes the game look so easy.

"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw

by BTLove on Aug 28, 2009 2:43 PM EDT reply actions

Drew has only had one bad month so far this year: July

Here’s how Drew has done month-by-month (by OPS):

April – .847
May – .817
June – .961
July – .677
August -1.108

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Aug 28, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I guess what I meant was,

that his swing looks so natural, you watch him and wonder why he ever OPS’s under .900.

"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw

by BTLove on Aug 28, 2009 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions

He'll get hurt pretty soon

He can’t stand the greatness! Remember that in 2 season with Sox he played a whooping number of 25 games in September! Talk ’bout a bad contract :(

"That was a lot of fun… You just keep pounding balls into the gap. The one thing you don’t want to do is hit a home run. That’s a rally-killer." Jeff Francoeur

by radiohix on Aug 28, 2009 3:26 PM EDT reply actions

And 23/25 in October

So yeah

by Ben Buchanan on Aug 28, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

You have to perform in September to give your team a chance to play some October baseball

He’s a ticking bomb: An injury waiting to happen!

"That was a lot of fun… You just keep pounding balls into the gap. The one thing you don’t want to do is hit a home run. That’s a rally-killer." Jeff Francoeur

by radiohix on Aug 28, 2009 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions

We played 25 games in those 2 Octobers

’Nuff said

by Ben Buchanan on Aug 28, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions

I would still DFA Drew

He is not worth the $14 million he gets.

by superferret on Aug 28, 2009 4:36 PM EDT reply actions

According to Fangraphs

Drew is worth $15.2 million this year, and was worth $18.6 million last year. He has the third-best WAR on the team this year.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Aug 28, 2009 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions

If you go by fangraph..

then Dewey Evans should had been a first ballot hall of famer..

He is not worth the $14 million the Sox pay him to be a .260-.270 hitter with 60-70 RBIs a year and a .490-.500 slugging percentage. He is worth something, but not $14 million.

The two contracts that always bothered me was Drew’s contract and Lugo’s deal.

by superferret on Aug 28, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Well his .260-.270 BA is fine considering how many walks he draws, a .500 SLG% is about what you get for $14 million a year, and he’s a good fielder.

Honestly, I think he’s been our second best player this year, behind Youk.

by Gnick on Aug 28, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

I give him more value

when he can hit southpaws better, which is why I thinks his batting stats are a bit askew, because he is mainly benched against southpaw pitchers.

by superferret on Aug 28, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

WAR isn't a rate stat though.

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Aug 28, 2009 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

.818 OPS v. lefties
.887 OPS v. righties

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Aug 28, 2009 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

look at his ABs for righties and southpaws...

by superferret on Aug 28, 2009 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Look at how many lefties are in the league.

We’ve got one in our rotation.

by Ben Buchanan on Aug 28, 2009 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions

He has about three times as many PA against righties.

That’s fairly close to normal. For example, Youk, who hits lefties and righties equally well, has about 2.5 times as many PA against righties.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Aug 28, 2009 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL @ .260 and 60-70 RBIs

And .490-.500 slugging is good. JD is one of our top OBP guys, and plays great defense in right field.

Not to mention nowhere on fangraphs does it say that about D.

by Ben Buchanan on Aug 28, 2009 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Umm... no.

By WAR, Dwight Evans is a borderline case:

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Aug 28, 2009 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions

He is borderline

So was Rice. In fcat, I think Dewey was better.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Aug 28, 2009 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Disclaimer:

This isn’t FanGraph’s WAR, which is only available going back to 2002, but from BaseballProjection.com, Sean “CHONE/Rally” Smith’s website:
http://www.baseballprojection.com/war/playerindex.htm
Should be very close to what FanGraphs would find if they had the data.

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Aug 28, 2009 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions