For a kid who never had faced big-league pitching before the season began, Josh Barfield has acquitted himself well. Like Adrian Gonzalez, he hasn’t shown a lot of patience at the plate — Barfield’s walk rate is about the same as that of the Astros’ Preston Wilson — nor has he been able to generate any offense at home (.212/.257/.269 in 156 AB).
But overall, Barfield’s batting average is near .300 and he’s knocking a decent number of extra-base hits. In fact, his H/XBH this year is slightly higher (.259) than it was last year at Triple-A Portland (.256). Always good to see numbers hold steady on moving up a level.
Barfield also has shown excellent instincts on the basepaths — the stolen bases are great, but beyond that, he constantly is looking for ways to put pressure on the defense. Several times this season he’s taken opponents (and in at least one case, the home plate umpire) by surprise with his exploits.
In the field, Barfield has been better than advertised. He moves very well — especially to his left, has a strong arm, and is much smoother turning the double play than he was just a few years ago. Barfield is relying a lot on his athleticism at this point but, like Gonzalez, he’s a smart kid who has shown the ability to make adjustments when needed.
The fact that Bruce Bochy keeps putting his name in the lineup every day speaks volumes about Barfield. There is plenty of untapped potential here, and it will be fun to watch him continue to develop.
Grade: B-
The tough part with Barfield is that we had one of the best secondbaseman in the league in Mark Loretta. Losing Loretta was one of the toughest losses of a Padre for me. Loretta is having another good year in Boston, better than Barfield. Loretta beats Barfield in hits, runs, batting average, rbis, and on base percentage. But that is just this year. I don’t think Barfield’s grade is as good this year so far, as it will be in the future. The Padres sacrificed a little of the present for the future. Let’s hope he pays off.