When San Diego signed Zander Bogarts (31) for an 11-year total of $280 million (approximately 368.3 billion won) ahead of this season, many were concerned about ‘duplicate investment’. Although he had an accident, Fernando Tatis Jr. was scheduled to return, and Kim Ha-seong, who filled the void of Tatis Jr. last year, is also enduring.
There was also criticism that if he had decided to spend the money, investing in other vulnerabilities would have been more helpful to the team. However, San Diego, which decided to run hot, did not hesitate. The plan was to recruit Bogarts, who boasts all-star skills in both offense and defense at the shortstop position, to fill the offense of the other line. And that plan is proving right in the opening series’ four-game series.
It’s literally the ‘Zandiego’ craze. He proved the value of his existence by wielding a strong blow in a 4-game series against Colorado held at Petco Park, his home stadium. Bogatz, who all played as a starting shortstop, completed a clear ceremony in front of the home fans by showing a batting average of 0.429, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.471 in 4 games.
In particular, on the 2nd (Korean time) and 3rd, the cannons were fired one after another, leaving a strong impression. It was a shot to wake up San Diego, who lost both games in the first two games. On the 2nd, he fired a first two-run four in the first inning, laying the foundation for the team’s first win of the season. On the 3rd, he led the team to a 3-1 victory by hitting a two-run four running away in the third inning with a 1-0 lead. All were important shots that provided relief to San Diego early in the game. 먹튀검증
Bogaerts also had three hits in Opening Day on March 31. The last time a shortstop in San Diego’s history had three or more hits in an opener was Gary Templeton in 1986. It was the first record in 37 years.
At the shortstop position, he is a solid offensive player. Bogatz achieved OPS of 0.833 or higher for all five years from 2018 to last year. In modern baseball, only seven shortstops, including Bogarts, have posted an OPS of 0.825 or higher for five consecutive years. In the past and now, shortstop is a position where defense is more important than offense, but it is natural that it is valuable because it has an appropriate level of defense and an offense that far exceeds the league average shortstop.
With the signing of Bogatz, San Diego gained the flexibility to send Kim Ha-seong to second base and Tatis Jr. to the outfield. As both players relieve the burden of defense, they can also expect an upgrade in offense. San Diego’s reasons for investing in Bogarts are looming.