No Giant polarizes the loyal fanbase like Fred Lewis. He's got plate discipline that makes statheads drool. He watches a lot of pitches and gets on base at a steady (though not elite) pace. He also watches a lot of third strikes. And when he gets on base, his basestealing skills are disappointing for such a fast guy.
His detractors say he should hit for more power, not be so passive at the plate. He certainly has the power; he's hit moonshots into the deepest parts of the Mays Field arcade. In fact the Giants' plan last year was to move him into the third slot and take a few more whacks. His supporters say he is what he is, a high-OBP guy whose talent should be put in the best context for it to blossom.
Stats confirm a couple conceptions about Freddie. He takes a lot of pitches, about 81% of all pitches he saw the past two years, compared to the league average of 75%. He also strikes out more than average. No surprise. But contrary to popular belief, he doesn't let a lot of strikes go by. The league average the past two years was about 65.6%, which is Lewis's career average. And last year, he swung at nearly 70% of pitches in the strike zone, or 4% higher than the league average.
Problem is, the past two years Freddie also swung and missed at pitches in the strike zone more than the average player. He's reading pitches as strikes, swinging at them, but not hitting them. This was most evident in his stone-cold leadoff streak in April, when he looked completely out of whack (more on this in a second).
Defense is a similar game. His detractors see him as iron-gloved and ill-routed in the outfield. His supporters point to his UZR numbers and note they're quite good in left field given his reputation. He's fast enough to recover from whatever bad reads he makes, they explain; as for the clanks, well, all outfielders muff a ball once in a while, and unfortunately with Fred, each mistake reinforces a preconceived notion that his detractors have already formed.
So what is Fred? A decent leadoff option who plays above-average D in left field, or a shaky defender who can't pull the trigger at the plate? The debate is compounded by a question about his attitude.
Backstory: the Giants opened camp with Fred penciled into the #3 slot, but with Freddie getting on base at a .545 clip, Bochy moved him to leadoff on April 19. Ten days later, he was 4-for-31 with 15 strikeouts from the leadoff spot and he told Hank Schulman, "I don't know why. I'm just not comfortable right now. I haven't done it all spring. This is the first time. It's something (where) I guess I've got to start all over and get used to it."
That comment has been interpreted as a sulk, as begging out of the assignment. Did he beg out, or was he given no slack? He got thirty-one measly at-bats at leadoff after being told to prep for the #3 lineup slot all winter. How you feel about Freddie probably reflects on your attitude toward Giant management in general. Think of him as a tall, lean, Southern Rorschach test.
When the talk came to leadoff hitters a couple months ago, Velez/Torres were the official candidates in question, not Lewis. He's deep in the doghouse. Then again, there have been three DFAs this winter -- Bocock, Valdez and Guzman -- so if the team were ready to cut ties, they might have done it already.
I'm guessing his prospects of making the team are dim. If the Giants break camp with 12 pitchers and two catchers, they'll have room for 11 position players. Sandoval, Huff, Uribe, Renteria, DeRosa, F. Sanchez and Rowand are locks. Schierholtz probably has the nod in right because of his D. Velez will probably get a spot as superutility guy who doesn't do anything particularly well. Torres will get consideration for his work against LHP and his late-inning D. That makes 10. Ishikawa, Bowker, and Lewis will probably fight for the 11th spot. Fred's best chance to squeeze in might be for F. Sanchez to miss the first few weeks of the season because of his surgery.
