Don’t let his name or size fool you, Scooter Gennett is scary good. Through his first 147 games in the major leagues, he is a .313 career hitter with surprising double-digit home run power. Though he has been thrust in a platoon situation in Milwaukee and was even left off of the all-star ballot in favor of teammate Rickie Weeks this year, Gennett is among the league’s best second basemen. He has not only become one of the best second-basemen in all of baseball, but he has been one of the driving forces of the Milwaukee Brewers offense.
At 5’10’’, the former 12th round pick was not originally destined for stardom. But, by moving to Florida to play year round as a child and impressively grinding through the minor leagues stop, he earned his big league promotion. By taking advantage of his opportunity last season, he continued to see a majority of the playing time at second base this season.
Although he is in a platoon situation with Rickie Weeks (only sitting against left-handed starters), Gennett has produced each time out. Beginning the year towards the bottom of the order, Gennett has sizzled in his recent promotion to the leadoff spot batting .362 in his first 16 games there. He has also driven the ball with much more authority than expected by hitting six home runs, and consistently finding gaps for doubles and triples.
Among National League second basemen, Gennett has also become elite. With over three months of the season complete, he leads all NL second basemen in batting average, OPS, and slugging percentage. He is also among leaders in doubles, runs scored, and RBIs.
In the field, Gennett is just as strong. Through each minor league season he has honed his skills and he has improved even more at the major league level. While he has five errors, he has showed soft hands and tremendous range. He has even taken away many Texas League popups by getting a great jump on the ball and taking away would be hits.
While he is still an unknown to many fans around baseball, Scooter Gennett is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Milwaukee. His blue-collared approach has helped him to grind his way to the major leagues, and his steady work ethic looks to keep him there a long time. Although his name was left off the ballot and the roster for the all-start game, it shouldn’t be long until he hears his name selected in an selection show in the future.
Statistics Provided by Baseball Reference
Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports