Gift Ngoepe
The Case for a Roster Spot:
Gift Ngoepe had a tumultuous offseason. He was arrested along with Dovydas Neverauskas for their roles in a bar fight in Toledo. Kevin Newman’s breakout 2016 season combined with Ngoepe’s dramatic increase in strikeout rate put the South African’s future in the majors in doubt. Ngoepe is one of those rare players that if he ever manages to figure out how to fix his woes at the plate he will be an extremely entertaining player to watch. Ngoepe’s is a defensive wonder. In 5,680 minor league innings playing the middle infield, Ngoepe has committed 88 errors in 3,233 opportunities for a combined 0.973 fielding percentage, although his 0.984 fielding percentage at shortstop with Indianapolis in 2016, right on par with Troy Tulowitzki for comparison.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]2017 Spring Training Stats:At-bats: 39
AVG: .436
K: 12
BABIP: .630[/perfectpullquote]
The Case against a Roster Spot:
Ngoepe’s .435 batting percentage and .500 OBP this spring are quite impressive, but he has been extremely inconsistent at the plate during the regular season in his professional career. Even worse, his 34.9% strikeout rate in 2016 was the worst in his career over the course of an entire season. He has ceased to be a threat on the bases. He will certainly get an opportunity to be the first player from South Africa to reach the majors in 2017, but his ability to remain consistent at the plate will determine whether his time comes before September.
The Breakdown:
Ngoepe provides a quality defensive replacement option for the Pittsburgh Pirates. If he stays hot through the next week, he could earn a trip north, at least to Montreal, if not Boston. How long he remains with the big league club will be up to him.
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