Martin Prado went into today’s series finale against the Phillies hitting .230 with a .639 OPS, which is about 33 percent below the league average according to Baseball Reference. The Diamondbacks acquired Prado in January in the trade that sent Justin Upton to Atlanta. The D-Backs’ return on the trade hasn’t been so good at least when you look at the stats, but Steve Hummer of the Atlanta Journal Constitution argues you need to look at the intangibles:
Teammate Eric Hinske said of his new teammate, “Martin’s all about the hug,” then went on to call him “the best player in baseball.”
But it took only one pass through the Arizona Diamondbacks circular clubhouse to come across unmistakable evidence that he did not forget to bring his intangibles.
For instance, arriving teammates passing Prado’s cubby had better be prepared for a long bro hug. And the gesture is contagious. The sound of back-slapping is a regular part of the background music of the Arizona clubhouse, the percussion of a team that is more than holding its own in the NL West.
Teammate Eric Hinske said of his new teammate, “Martin’s all about the hug,” then went on to call him “the best player in baseball.”
When statistically-oriented people complain about the prevalence of intangibles in baseball conversations, this is why -- this is a complete and utter exaggeration of a mediocre player’s value.
