After Andres Torres injury on Opening Day, Kirk Nieuwenhuis was called up from Triple A to take over in center field for the Mets. I feel badly for Torres, as he seems like a really good guy who has overcome a lot, but it should only be a temporary setback.
In the mean times, what do we know about Nieuwenhuis (need some veteran to give him a clever or not so clever nickname like Newbie).
First we know he is a third round pick from 2008. He is a left handed hitter who is known for his hustle on the field.
What the numbers say is he appears to have some pop on his bat. Last year in 188 bats, he hit six home runs. His minor league career, he seemed to be a consistent fifteen to eighteen home run guy. Decent rbi and batting average over his minor league career. Had a .401 on base percentage in Buffalo last year. First year or two he had some decent stolen base numbers also, but not in the last two years. Also, his minor league numbers indicates that he does tend to strikeout a lot. There's something new for the Mets (note the sarcasm).
According to what I read, he is an average fielder with a good arm. His assist numbers seem impressive. In 2010, in a combined 121 games in Binghamton and Buffalo, he had 13 assists.
The downside is his recent injuries. He missed a good part of last year with shoulder surgery and this spring training, he fought off an oblique injury. If he gets hurt, other available Met outfielders available include Don Hahn, Don Bosch and Mike Vail.
Best of luck to Kirk Nieuwenhuis as he joins the first place New York Mets.
Here is a brief glimpse of Nieuwenhuis' arm.
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