Has Eric Duncan finally put it together?

Written by Greg Fertel | 30 April 2009

Last night, me and Sean were discussing this very topic, and then reader Ed asked the same question.

Duncan, the one time top prospect and the 2003 first round pick of the Yankees, has gotten off to a hot start this season, batting .313/.392/.406. He is hitting the ball well and getting on base a lot, but there has not been much power there, as Duncan has an ISO of just .094. For comparisons sake, in AAA last year, Brett Gardners ISO was .126, so that should give you an idea of how little power Duncan has been hitting for so far.

Duncan has maintained a nice BB:K ratio of 9:14, but has still struck out in 21.9% of his at bats, which is not good. Duncan has never been a player who hits for high average, and his .313 average this year is aided by a very high and unsustainable .400 BABIP. Duncan's BABIP over the past three seasons was .267, .276, and .293. While it has been improving from year to year, there is no way he can keep up his current batting average on balls in play.

When Duncans BABIP regresses back towards the norm, his batting average will drop quite a few points. With the lack of power Duncan has shown so far this season, expect his batting line to look very pedestrian as the season progresses.

I will always be rooting for Duncan to succeed and regain his top prospect status, but so far this season, his batting line has been aided by luck and there are no signs of real improvement in his skills. So, the answer to the question, "Has Eric Duncan finally put it together?" is no, he hasn't... but remember that he is still only 24 years old and has time to become a decent player.