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Oakland A’s Brett Lawrie strikes out four times on 12 pitches

By Josh Criswell

Feb 28, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Brett Lawrie (15) poses for a portrait during Photo Day at HoHoKam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Brett Lawrie (15) poses for a portrait during Photo Day at HoHoKam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Brett Lawrie has been a serviceable hitter during his MLB career, but that was not reflected during an embarrassing performance against the Texas Rangers last night.

Brett Lawrie has compiled a respectable .264 batting average throughout his career, but the Oakland A’s infielder is off to a rough start to the 2015 season.

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Lawrie had probably the worst night of his career against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, finishing the evening with four strikeouts on just 12 pitches. That is correct. No balls and no hits for the A’s new third baseman. Just four strikeouts and the feeling of being completely dominated by his opponent.

After providing Oakland with a hit and a run during a 1-for-4 night to open the season on Monday, Lawrie’s sub-par outing is a step in the wrong direction when it comes to winning over the fans of his new team.

While his .125 batting average through the first two games of the season are not promising, it is also no reason to worry quite yet. One thing that is troubling, however, is the fact that Lawrie is coming off of the two worst hitting seasons of his career. After putting up impressive numbers of 20 home runs, 73 RBI’s and a respectable .278 average through his first two MLB seasons in limited action as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, his average has dropped off significantly since then.

Lawrie put up decent home run and RBI numbers during his last two seasons in Toronto, but his batting average fell to all the way to .252, well below par for what you would expect from your every day third baseman. The Blue Jays clearly did not picture Lawrie as the man to hold down the hot corner in the long-run, and shipped him along with three teammates to acquire All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson from the A’s. Donaldson is not off to a great start in Toronto either, going 0-4 with two strikeouts during his only appearance with the team this season.

Fans in Oakland should not be sweating the move just yet. While it was shocking to say the least, considering they traded away an all-star caliber corner infielder in his prime, the move netted the A’s way too much in return to pass up the offer. It should also be noted that Donaldson hit a career-worst .255 last season and registered a career-high 130 strikeouts, so Oakland could very well have just sold the third baseman while his stock was at its peak.

Lawrie should develop into a decent hitter and a solid replacement at third for his new team. Last night may have been a bump in the road, but the 25-year-old Lawrie has plenty of promise ahead of him, and significantly more MLB experience than most players his age.

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