When is a platoon not a platoon?
Answer: When you’re Dave Roberts and you’ve started right-handed hitter Trayce Thompson in center field five times, against a left-handed starter each time, and left-handed hitter Joc Pederson has started every other game — all against right-handed pitchers.
Roberts had an opportunity to clarify the arrangement Wednesday, when Thompson got his sixth start of the season against Miami Marlins left-hander Justin Nicolino.
“I think that Trayce is good out there in center field. I want to get him at-bats. It makes sense to get him in there against left-handed pitching,” Roberts said. “Joc had a good at-bat against the left-hander (Craig) Breslow last night. So it’s not like I’m pinch hitting every time a left-hander gets there. Chase (Ultey) had a good at-bat. (Carl) Crawford hit a line drive to the shortstop last night.”
In the case of Thompson and Pederson, a straight platoon isn’t a particularly tough decision to defend. Here are their career splits:
Pederson:
Thompson:
Digging a bit deeper than the starting assignments, Roberts has been more protective of Pederson than Thompson. That long fly ball to the gap against Breslow on Tuesday made Pederson 0-for-5 with a walk against left-handed pitchers this season. He’s made 62 plate appearances against righties and owns a .950 OPS.
Thompson, meanwhile, entered Wednesday’s game with more plate appearances against righties (25) than lefties (19), but his OPS splits (.924 vs. lefties, .584 against righties) offer a perfect complement to Pederson.
“There’s no platoon, I really don’t see it,” Roberts said. “You’re going to see Joc against (Tampa Bay Rays left-hander) Matt Moore playing center field (next week).”
Maybe this isn’t a strict platoon then, but maybe it should be. Roberts believes that Pederson has the potential to match well up against left-handed pitchers depending on their so-called “out pitch.”
“Certain guys their out pitch is a changeup; certain lefties, it’s a breaking ball,” Roberts said. “So when typically it’s a breaking ball that’s their secondary, it’s harder for the left on left, the visual. Guys who have a changeup as an out pitch, typically the left-handers can handle them.”