Padres Roster rankings: No. 13 Yonder Alonso

Position: First base
2015 Opening Day age: 27
Contract status: Arbitration-eligible for the first time; made $980,000 in 2014.
Key stats: .240 avg., .285 OBP, .397 SLG, 7 HRs, 27 RBIs, 27 R, 6 SBs, 267 ABs

Trending: Down – Three years ago, Alonso set a rookie record with 39 doubles, instilling some faith that there was some untapped power potential in his left-handed stroke. But right hand/wrist injuries not only torpedoed his last two campaigns with the Padres, they made him a serious non-tender candidate as rookie General Manager A.J. Preller took a wrecking ball to his inherited roster. What he has in Alonso remains something of a mystery: He’s a first-round talent who was slashing .421/.477/.737 upon returning from the disabled list in late July until one last wrist injury sent shelved him for good until 2014, but he has yet to stay healthy since that rookie season.

2015 outlook: According to Alonso, season-ending surgery appears to have taken care of his right hand/wrist issues once and for all. With all of their upgrades in the outfield, the Padres would be happy to have Alonso turn in a campaign along the lines of his rookie season (.273/.348/.393), especially considering their loack of left-handed bats in the lineup. Preller, however, may be short on patience if Alonso starts as slowly as he did last year (.167/.198/.229 in April). Already, Alonso will likely take a seat for Tommy Medica or Will Middlebrooks against tougher left-handed pitching.


(utsandiego.com)