Diamond Cutter Scouting Report: Ryan Theriot

Theriot gives pitchers headaches (Peter J Preston/Flickr).

Name: Ryan Theriot
Number: 2
Position: Shortstop
Born: 12/7/79
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5’11″
Weight: 175
Debut: 9/13/05

Scouting Report: Theriot is just the kind of pesky hitter you want at the top of your lineup. In fact, he’s a perfect number two hitter as he not only makes pitchers work, he can also play small ball and move runners over. Theriot does a fantastic job working counts, making pitchers work to get him out and constantly draws walks (on-base machine). He is a shining example of a contact hitter and stays inside the ball very well which allows him to drive the ball to right and right center field. He has virtually no power at all but that isn’t his game so it isn’t a big deal. Very speedy on the base paths and a good base stealer. This really helps out the 3-4-5 hitters after him as the pitcher tends to become distracted with him. Then if they focus on the hitter, he’ll steal a base.

Theriot is a steady glove with steady hands at shortstop with a very smooth transition to the ball. Goes up the middle to track down balls in play much better than in the hole on the left side. Has the tendency to not charge in on balls which sometimes comes back to bite him on bad hops. He doesn’t have the best arm in the world but he is accurate on his throws. Not a flashy player at all, just an overall good guy to have on your team.

Diamond Cutter Scouting Report: Chone Figgins

Figgins is one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball (ATempletonPhoto.com)

Name: Chone Figgins | Number: 9 | Position: Third Base
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right | Height: 5’8″ | Weight: 180
Born: 1/22/78 | Debut: 8/25/02

Scouting Report: A fantastic 2009 season has helped Figgins establish himself as one of the best lead off guys in the business. He’s a fantastic tone setter as he uses his speed and short, compact (slap) swing to make things happen at the top of the lineup. Does a great job hitting the ball where its pitched with some pretty good gap-to-gap pop. Good extra base guy due to his speed and ability to take extra bases. Likes pitches out over the plate and can struggle at times with hard stuff inside.

While he’s a better fit and most valuable as a utility player (can play all over infield including left field), he has made a home for himself as a plus defender at the hot corner with good reaction time, feet and hands. He is a very unique third baseman in that he doesn’t have the typical power that teams look for or require. What makes the trade off for power worth it is his speed and knack for getting on base.