Just In Case
Mat Gamel Starts at First Friday, April 27, 2012 By Jacob Mayrand
The Brewers started the season with somewhat of a slow start with multiple losses to last years World Series Campions rival; The St. Louis Cardinals. With the loss of Prince Fielder, a large void at first base has been created for the former top prospect Mat Gamel. Throughout his history with the Brewers, Gamel was stuck behind Fielder at first base and struggled too much defensively at the third base to be considered an everyday starter. But now it’s Gamel's time to shine. Gamel is expected to hit the lower-middle of the lineup, especially now with Ryan Braun back in the order and hitting third. His strong left-handed hit will be utilized by Roenicke to clean up the remains of the damage wrecked by Braun, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks, and Aramis Ramirez, much like the role Hart has played in the previous two seasons. Many think that Gamel will be replaced by May. He hasn't shown the power that he showed in the majors, and he has had terrible plate discipline. He hasn't had that much time in the majors though, and if he puts together, he could be an average to above average player. Hopefully, Gamel can fix his defensive troubles that hung over him at third base. It doesn’t require much defensively to be an upgrade from Fielder at first base. Nobody is asking him to become the next Prince Fielder, but a good season would take away a lot of the pressure burdened on him. |