Baseball America recently released their Top Tools
list and there is one major aspect that has me puzzled. For those of you not familiar, the list
details the top three players from each league in a number of different
attribute categories, or “tools.” The
well-known tools of a so-called 5-tool player are ability to hit for contact,
ability to hit for power, speed, defensive ability, and arm. This list goes a bit further in depth, with
20 total categories: five offensive, two for baserunning, eight for pitchers,
six for the best defensive player at each position, two for arm (infield and
outfield), the most exciting player, and the best manager. Names like Trout, Cabrera, McCutchen,
Kershaw, and Verlander appear frequently across the different tools. There is one name, however, that is found on
two separate lists. It is this player
that is the source of my puzzlement.
The name is Tony Campana. For those of you who haven’t heard of him, do
not be too surprised. He has only played
in two partial seasons for the Cubs (2011-12) and has only appeared in two
games in the majors this season for Arizona.
Now, I am really not surprised that Campana is not finding playing time
in Arizona. The Diamondbacks outfield
has a pretty solid logjam between Gerardo Parra, Cody Ross, Jason Kubel, rookie AJ Pollack,
rookie Adam Eaton, and utilityman Martin Prado.
The part that surprises me is that another team doesn’t go get him. Not every outfield is as deep as the one in
Arizona and Campana has the tools (as published in Baseball America) to warrant
at least fairly regular playing time at the major league level.
In his career, the 27-year-old Campana has hit .299
in the minor leagues and posted a .262 average in his two years in
Chicago. I will admit, his power abilities
are basically null. His one major league
home run was an inside-the-park homer at Wrigley. It is his small-ball abilities that make him
valuable. He is rated the third-best
bunter in the National League behind Everth Cabrera of the Padres and Juan
Pierre of the Marlins. He is also the
third-fastest baserunner behind Cabrera and Carlos Gomez from Milwaukee. Keep in mind the National League has a
tendency to lean toward small-ball tactics.
Campana was also rated the best baserunner in the Pacific Coast League
(AAA) in the minor league area of the Baseball America lists.
Through 2011-12 in Chicago, Campana played in 184
games. During that time, he was 54/59
(91.5%) on stolen bases. That is also
one stolen base every 3.4 games. Even
with only playing in two games this season, Campana has managed to swipe two
bags in three attempts. That puts his
career 162-game average at 49 successful steals and only 5 times being
caught. With those totals, he would have
tied Mike Trout for the most steals in the majors in 2012. Not to mention, his 90.91% SB efficiency last
season was tied with Emilio Bonifacio for sixth and his 92.31% was good for
third in 2011.
The question remains, how is a player like this so
undervalued that he only has managed two major league games this season? He is a solid defender with only one error in
184 total chances in the majors. His arm
is nothing special, but he is absolutely apt to play left or center field
regularly. I do not necessarily feel
Campana should be an everyday player, but his value as a pinch-runner and
fourth outfielder at the very least merits a roster spot. Having a player that will steal successfully
nine times out of ten on your bench is basically like having a secret
weapon. He can fill in as a defensive
replacement, pinch-runner, or a pinch-hitter vs RHP.
My mind is boggled by how no team has found
Campana to be valuable enough to pry him away from Arizona and keep him on the
roster for the season. He would fit well
in St. Louis with his ability to run for aging hitters like Carlos Beltran and
Matt Holliday who have lost a step. The
Yankees have lost Granderson to injury again and have a team that, aside from
Brett Gardner and Ichiro, is basically devoid of a speed element. The Red Sox have a similar situation with
only Jacoby Ellsbury as a major threat on the basepaths. Campana could be a runner and defensive sub
in left field for Boston. If I was a new
GM looking to build a team, he would not be the first player on the list, but I
am sure there would be a spot on the roster for Tony Campana and I am amazed
that among the thirty teams none have made that happen.
Visit http://www.baseballamerica.com/majors/mlb-2013-best-tools/
for the full article.
