Hummel: Analyzing the Cards by position - STLtoday.com
Matt Adams showed last season that he is above average defensively at first base with an ability to glove the low throw and also move to his right. To play every day, however, Adams must hit better against lefthanded pitching, which held him to a. 190 regular-season average. But it must also be remembered that Adams homered off Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw and San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner, easily the two best lefthanders in the league, in one week’s time in the postseason. Often, teams overshifted for Adams last season, giving him almost the entire left side of the field at which to shoot, and Adams poked a number of singles that way. None, however, was a bunt, which manager Mike Matheny advised him to consider this spring in light of Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo fooling the Cardinals twice with bunt singles late last season. Well-traveled Mark Reynolds , a righthanded hitter who has seven 20-homer seasons in succession, could play against some lefthanders if Adams falters, but Reynolds never really has been a part-time player, and his strikeout levels already were... In case of injury to Matt Adams, Mark Reynolds could step in and play regularly, but he wouldn’t hit for much average. The former third baseman would not hurt the club defensively at the position and, with some games of three strikeouts, a three-run homer also might come. Source: www.stltoday.com
