If you have not yet heard about Evan Gattis, or his amazing story, then you have been living in a cave yourself (pun very much intended). Making his debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2013, Gattis spent two spectacular seasons with the club. In just 743 plate appearances over two seasons, “El Oso Blanco” mashed 43 home runs, collected 117 RBI, hit .253, and maintained an OPS of .791. These numbers make it all too clear that Gattis’ bat is as big as his Bunyan-esque figure. He is a unique, offensive gem.
As much of a fan of Evan Gattis as I am, which would put me in the category of unofficial fan club president that I would carry out gladly if asked, there are still three points of concern related to his game.
1. Can his glove live up to his bat?
In his first two seasons in Atlanta, Gattis was not the greatest of defenders, as he himself has admitted in plenty of interviews. While serviceable at catcher in 2014 and posting a overall fielding percentage of .994, the caught-stealing ratio of a mere 20% of base stealers does leave something to be desired. And since the Houston Astros have no intention of using him behind the plate, that leaves Gattis’ potential fielding positions as left field or first base. Gattis has not seen either position since his 2013 rookie season, and even so far in Grapefruit League action he’s only seen the outfield twice, while he’s yet to suit up at first. Whatever the plan is for Gattis in the field, skipper A.J. Hinch assures one thing about Gattis, “He gives you 150% out there. He’s a caged animal.” I tend to believe he is right in these sentiments, not just because of the nickname, but from seeing first hand in Atlanta how hard this player works. If nothing else, he could fill the DH position nicely. However, the hope remains that Gattis is not pushing himself too hard wherever he lands. Which leads me to the next point of concern.
2. His overall health
Many critics of the big sports networks are quick to label him as “injury-prone.” But if I could describe Gattis’ health in the past two seasons using a book title, I would have to rip off Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” Gattis has obtained such injuries and illnesses merely through bad luck. The white bear constantly makes strives to keep healthy. But a 6’4″, 250 lb frame is not the easiest of things to keep up with. This concludes why, in my previous remarks on his glove, I mentioned that Gattis should not strain himself too much, or the health issues could return. He isn’t getting any younger after all. I believe his new team, unlike his former team, will not only keep him healthy, but utilize his talents in a more efficient manner. He’s already an impact player, and only time will tell if Gattis will make it to the level of a franchise player for Houston.
3. The strikeouts
Gattis was recently quoted saying the following to a reporter:
“We’ll see, you know?” Gattis laughed. “Stay tuned. We’ll find out. But I think we’ll score a lot of runs. And if you do, you win a lot. Who cares about the strikeouts if you win the World Series?”
Some in the media were, of course, quick to lash out, feeling as though Gattis made that statement as a way to be complacent with strikeouts in general. While I understand the concern, I do not necessarily agree with it. Understandably, my fan support gives Gattis the benefit of the doubt. But if his current performance in Grapefruit League is any indication, Gattis is attempting to be more of a contact hitter. A resounding 5-for-14 with a double and three RBI, good for a .357 batting average, and only two strikeouts to his name is certainly further proof of Gattis’ intent to make more contact with the ball and not just swing at everything that comes his way, aiming squarely for the fences.
The position he will start at and play in April and throughout the 2015 season with the Houston Astros is still very much up in the air. But wherever he is, Evan Gattis is going to make a great addition to all rosters; real or fantasy. Now that he has made the move to the hitter friendly American League, he is bound to make a big splash, potentially amassing close to 40 home runs and 100 RBI. Most would call that a bold prediction, but I call it a realistic goal.
James Zeankowski is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from James, check out his archive and follow him @tvwizard85.