What is wrong with Drew?

I am a huge fan of David Jonathan Drew. I think he was a great acquisition for the Sox this summer and think he will be very productive. He doesn't have the "grit" or "heart" that many baseball fans look for but he has just about everything else. Speed, Defensive, plate discipline, and bat control.

Now to whats wrong with him. For starters, where he has been batting. While he does have the ability to bat 5th, he is much better suited as a lead off hitter or in the 2/3 hole. He doesn't have the power traditionally associated with a 5th hitter. Also, his plate discipline hinders his run production that is needed in the 5th spot. He will take many walks where more traditional batter will go for the hit. Trust me, i love that about him. But with that attitude you should be batting in front of people that will hit the ball instead of behind them.

Second problem, he is a lefty. It is so hard for a left handed batter to get use to hitting in Fenway. Until he learns to take the ball to the opposite field, ala Big Papi, he is going to struggle. His numbers at home (.226/.321/.333) are significantly lower than his road stats (.255/.367/.373). If he can start using the Monster his home numbers will gain a lot of ground.

Third problem, his power is gone. His GB% is at 51%, which is about 6% higher than his career average. If he doesn't start getting the ball in the air more often than he will never get the HRs or doubles he is known for. Drew normally has a SLUG% around .500 but right now he is at .354. He needs to get that power back.

I love Drew and think he will end the season with an OPS around .900. That is very good considering he brings so many other things to the game. But we need to be patient with him. He is in a new league and a new park. An extremely odd park for lefties to hit in, i might add. He has a 5 year contract, so we aren't getting rid of him. Lets just sit back and wait for the water to find its level.