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Baltimore Orioles Trey Mancini named a top left fielder by MLB Network

By Kristen Bentley

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 07: Trey Mancini #16 of the Baltimore Orioles makes a catch against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 7, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 07: Trey Mancini #16 of the Baltimore Orioles makes a catch against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 7, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Every year, MLB Network shares its Top 10 Best Lists at every position. While a few Baltimore Orioles players are expected to show up at certain positions, one name came as a nice surprise.

The Baltimore Orioles Trey Mancini who will be entering his second season in the MLB was included with some of the best in the game.

Mancini appeared on two of the three featured lists on MLB Network‘s celebration of what fans can expect in the 2018 season.

Where Mancini landed on the lists

Eric Byrnes placed him in the final spot on his Top 10 list and Brian Kenny left him off completely. But, the Shredder, MLB Network’s number cruncher, placed Mancini in fifth. Usually, the Shredder makes boneheaded lists, but there are no complaints coming about this one.

Byrnes, Kenny, and the Shredder all agreed that Marcell Ozuna was the best left fielder in the game and the next two spots belonged to either Justin Upton or Yoenis Cespedes. The rest of the lists contained mixes of Andrew Benintendi, Ryan Braun, Khris Davis, Brett Gardner, and Marwin Gonzalez.

The oddity of left field

Left field has become more of a platoon position with very few players taking the spot on a regular basis. Justin Upton and Marcell Ozuna are exceptions to this trend. According to an article by Mike Pietrello with MLB.com, only 12 left fielders had 400 or more plate appearances in 2017.

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Mancini played 85 games in left field. Overall, he had 586 plate appearances with 343 of them in games where he played left field. During those games, he hit .275/.327/.435 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs. His best offensive numbers came when he was playing first base as he hit .327/.357/.600 with 10 home runs.

Comparing Mancini to the rest

When looking at 2017 stats, Mancini had the fourth highest batting average behind Gonzalez, Tommy Pham, and Ozuna. His 24 home runs placed him in 10th place. Davis, Ozuna, and Upton topped that list. He was ninth in slugging percentage – again, Ozuna and Upton topped this list, too.

Defensively, Mancini’s numbers stand up, too. He committed three errors and was involved in a league-leading two double plays. His 1.78 range factor ranks him near players like Brett Gardner and Tommy Pham.

A bit of analysis

Mancini has some work to do if he is going to be included with the likes of Ozuna and Upton, but at age 25, he has room to grow. He is clearly outstanding at the plate, but it would be nice to see him add a little to his footwork in the field. One of Mancini’s greatest assets in 2017 was his consistency at the plate. If he could do it in his rookie season, he should be able to repeat that consistency in his sophomore season.

Next: Thoughts on a trade idea with the Brewers

It’s exciting to see this young player included with the best in the game and hopefully, he will continue to grow in 2018.

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