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George Springer is a 34-year-old right-handed hitting outfielder who moved from center in 2022 to right last year. The move was designed to keep him in the lineup more often, and it worked. I like his defense in right field a lot more than in center field.
He’s had three years with the Jays and has three more on his contract.
Last year, he hit .258/.327/.405 with 21 home runs and a career-high 20 stolen bases (caught just 5 times). I’d trade those stolen bases for better base running. At times, he seemed to be the poster boy for the team’s inability to go from base to base without being tagged out. He was 1.7 runs worse than the average base runner.
But the baserunning was small potatoes compared to the drop in his hitting. 2021 he had a .555 slugging average; in 2022, it was .472. And last year, it was .405. The next number in that progression wouldn’t be good. A 102 OPS+ isn’t what we are looking for in a right fielder (or leadoff hitter).
The question is ‘Does he have a bounce-back season at age 34?” Not that 25 PA means anything, but he is hitting .300/.440/.500 with 1 home run this spring.
PECOTA has him playing 145 games, with 22 home runs, .249/.323/.417.
ZiPS: 129 games, 21 home runs, .254/.328/.432.
Steamer: 144 games, 21 home runs, .258/.332/.447.
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