Shorebird of the Week – August 20, 2009

Elvin Polanco looked pretty serious in this shot - perhaps he was pondering how to beat the opposing pitcher at his own game.

Elvin Polanco checks to see if he cracked his bat after a foul ball in this game on July 1st.

A key to the Shorebirds offensive attack all year, first baseman/designated hitter Elvin Polanco ranks among Shorebird leaders in many offensive categories.

Polanco, who shares time with Joe Mahoney in each position (on days Polanco plays in the field, Mahoney tends to be the DH and vice versa), doesn’t have the higher average in the platoon – as of this date Elvin is hitting .248 to Mahoney’s .291 – but outranks Mahoney in the power numbers with 8 home runs and 53 runs batted in. It ranks Elvin 3rd on the team in homers and second in RBI.

As is the case for most foreign-born players, Polanco signed with the Orioles at a young age (he was a month shy of his 18th birthday) and spent his first couple years of professional ball in his native Dominican Republic before making the jump over to America in 2007. That year he tore up the Gulf Coast League and was named a postseason All-Star.

After playing in Bluefield last season, Polanco is on his first full-season club this year and it’s noticeable that as the season has worn on his numbers have declined. Elvin was hitting .264/3/34 with a .655 OPS prior to the break but just .225/3/19 with a .569 OPS since.

With three weeks to go in the season, it’s not unreasonable to hope Polanco catches a second wind and can push the average back over .250 nor are double-digit home runs out of the question. After a long slump Elvin is 4-for-12 in his last 3 games so perhaps that burst is forthcoming.

Whether a late-season tear would be enough to merit a promotion to Frederick next year is a good question but at 22 years of age Polanco wouldn’t necessarily be hurt to repeat here in 2010. Elvin could be a cornerstone of the team if he’s brought back next spring.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.