Dexter Fowler

[Neato Torpedo]

For a week or so I was second guessing my decision to drop Franklin for him right before the season started, but not anymore.

Earlier in this thread I said:

Love this guy. Last year in the minors, he posted a .946 OPS as a speedy leadoff hitter (.335/.431/.515), and put up a 65/89 BB/K ratio in 505 PA. Given consistent playing time, he'll post up a 13/30 pace and help your AVG and runs.

500 AB: .290 AVG, 83 R, 10 HR, 45 RBI, 23 SB (4th/5th OF numbers)
650 AB (full season pace): .290 AVG, 108 R, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 30 SB (3rd OF numbers)
500 AB + 150 AB of replacement OF: .283 AVG, 98 R, 13 HR, 60 RBI, 25 SB (replacement OF = .267/65/12/65/10)

He won't get those 650 AB, but if you play him right, he can be Fred Lewis+ this year, and if you play him excellently he should be a top value pickup. Of course, if you just pick him up and let him sit in your starting lineup every day you won't get much out of him. But down the road, SpecialFNK is right on with the Craw comparison.

He's already between 1/3 and 1/2 into my 23 SB prediction, and he seemed to be stealing bases at will against Young today. If you can be 5/5 against one pitcher over the course of 3 innings and 3 times on base, you gotta have some good grasp of baserunning. Can someone confirm this who's seen him steal bases this year, or at least watched today's game? Either way, it's definitely too early to discuss 50 or even 40, but I'm getting excited. Edit: 3 great jumps, 1 conceded base on a double steal, and one tough call in today's game.

All of Fowler, Spilborghs, and Hawpe have been doing well, but the specters of Stewart, Smith, Gonzalez, and Murton won't go away. Gonzalez and Murton have respective OPS's of .917 and 1.133 in AAA Colorado Springs, and Stewart/Smith have combined for 10 OF starts in 16 games on the MLB level, and are holding their own.

NYMetsin2k4, I still think Craw plus walks is a better comparison, and the 15/50/.300 Craw of a couple years ago at that. Of course, it's far from a sure thing and I'm in no way punching his ticket in the 1st round in the next couple years, but skill-wise I think he has a sky high ceiling and a relatively high floor. The only issue is PT, and I desperately hope that the Rockies will ship out Hawpe at the very least this offseason.

[prateem]

Picked him on April 11th when i started this thread and just put him in there when he is starting. the more i see of him the more i like him. looks like a great play the atleast the next little while, hopefully the rest of the season

[superslugger616]

From Mark St. Amant's Rotoworld article today:

Five – five! -- SBs and 3 runs against the Padres last night. 9 SBs on the year. (Granted, Ruben Studdard piggybacking Rosie O'Donnell piggybacking Artie Lange piggybacking an actual pig could steal two bases off Chris Young.)

hahaha