Pittsburgh Pirates: Grading the 2013 Shortstops
By Matt Shetler
Jordy Mercer- .285 AVG/ .336 OBP/ .435 SLG, 8 HR, 27 RBI
Sep 12, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Jordy Mercer (10) fields aground ball against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Mercer, after a brief call-up last season, turned out to be a breath of fresh air at the shortstop position.
His bat was quite the surprise, evident by a .772 OPS. After a solid start to his season in May, Mercer maintained some consistency at the plate, hitting over .267 in each month, culminating with a red hot September in which he hit .347.
Even though he committed 12 errors with only a .962 fielding percentage in only 63 appearances at shortstop, you had to come away impressed with Mercer’s all-around season, especially for a guy who didn’t make the team out of spring training.
Can Mercer be an everyday guy?
I’m still not entirely sold on that fact, but after his 2013 season I’m definitely intrigued enough to want to see him get a long look in 2014. Grade: B-