Time to start flying through these things. I'll be covering the hitters; Dave's taking care of the pitchers. 2007 numbers are listed in parentheses.
AB: 471 (485)
2B: 26 (29)
3B: 0 (0)
HR: 14 (14)
HBP: 9 (11)
BB: 21 (15)
K: 47 (41)
SB: 1 (0)
CS: 2 (2)
GB%: 46 (46)
BA: .283 (.287)
OBP: .325 (.322)
SLG: .433 (.433)
IsoPa: .042 (.035)
IsoPo: .150 (.146)
And so we kick off the projections with a guy who's basically been the same player in both of his seasons since coming over. Scintillating. You guys expect a whole lot more of the same, with only two differences:
BB%, 2007: 2.9%
BB%, 2008: 4.1%
K%, 2007: 8.0%
K%, 2008: 9.4%
The community thinks Kenji's going to set career highs in walks and strikeouts. Not that it's particularly difficult for a player who doesn't walk or strike out to set new career highs in walks and strikeouts, but this is interesting, and it might indicate either (A) acknowledgment that Kenji's getting older, (B) subconscious (or deliberate I guess) regression to the mean, or (C) randomness. Then again though, since the final batting line is consistent with Kenji's 2006 and 2007, I suppose the means are less significant than the ends. So here's to OPS consistency.
2008's going to be an important summer. Not only because the organization has invested a lot in its effort to win now, but also because what Kenji does in his contract year could go a long way towards determining the shape of Jeff Clement's future in the big leagues. So with that in mind, one thing's for sure: following Kenji's season won't be nearly as dull as reading what we think it'll look like.