With Spring Training action already underway, there will be a myriad of storylines for Kansas City Royals fans to follow as the team prepares for the upcoming 2017 regular season.
Of the many pre-season storylines, one Royals player to keep a close eye on will be outfielder/first baseman Peter O’Brien.
O’Brien made his way to Kansas City in December when the Arizona Diamondbacks traded him for minor-league pitcher Sam Lewis. O’Brien, 26, was designated for assignment by Arizona on Dec. 23 after they claimed catcher Juan Graterol off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.
A second-round pick of the New York Yankees back in 2012, the former catcher comes in at a whopping 6′ 4″ and 235 pounds.
O’Brien got his first taste of the big leagues in 2015 when he appeared in eight games for the Diamondbacks. In 10 at-bats, he slashed .400/.500/.800 with four hits, one homer, three RBI and five strikeouts. His workload increased in 2016 when he logged 64 at-bats in 28 games. His slash line took a hit with the increased play, finishing at .141/.179/.391 and collected nine hits, five home runs, nine RBI and 27 strikeouts.
While his small sample size of big league at-bats may not be overly impressive, O’Brien has clearly demonstrated he has elite power potential during his time in the minor leagues. From 2013 to 2016, he smashed 106 homers and drove in 352 runs between four levels. His most impressive season in terms of power came in 2014 when he batted .271/.316/.594 with 34 home runs and 74 RBI.
With eye-popping offensive numbers like those, it’s rational to wonder why O’Brien hasn’t gotten a bigger chance to prove himself at the big-league level. That’s where the red flags come in.
Offensively, the problem lies in his plate discipline. Over the last three seasons, O’Brien has struck out 382 times and has a walk rate of 5.9% for his career, translating into a .317 career on-base percentage (.228 in the majors). Defensively, he lacks a true position. Arizona originally viewed him as a catcher but he struggled with making and receiving accurate throws which facilitated mediocre trials in both the outfield and at first base.
Luckily for the Royals, O’Brien could fit nicely in a DH role with his new American League club. With newly acquired Brandon Moss taking the reigns at DH for the next two years and no room in the outfield or at first, the probability of O’Brien making the Opening Day roster is understandably low. However, he could very well tear the cover off the ball in Triple-A and force his way onto the Royal’s roster midway through the season.
If his Spring Training stats are any indication, that’s certainly looking like the case. In nine at-bats, O’Brien has four hits, three homers and six RBI while batting a cool .333.
Matt Weller covers the Kansas City Royals as a staff writer for Outside Pitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter or contact him via email here.
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