Andrew Lambo was selected by the Dodgers in the 4th round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of Newbury Park HS, about 50 miles outside of LA. He had been ranked as a sandwich or second round pick (#49 overall by Baseball America), but an Arizona State commitment, a high school marijuana bust, and questions about his maturity kept him on the board longer.
He played for the rookie GCL Dodgers in 2007 and started 2008 with the Class A Great Lakes Loons, where he was named a Midwest League All-Star. Lambo was promoted on quite a fast track to the AA Jacksonville Suns for a cup of coffee at the end of the year.
In 2009-10 he was with Class AA Chattanooga. He repped the Lookouts at the 2009 Southern League mid-season All-Star game, and Baseball America rated him as the organization's top outfield prospect of 2009.
He entered the 2010 season as the Dodgers' #7 prospect per BA, and things were lookin' rosy. But on May 1st, 2010, MLB suspended Lambo for 50 games for testing positive for a banned substance, identified as a non-PED "drug of abuse," thought to be weed. With that and continuing concerns about his attitude and maturity level, he and James McDonald were traded on July 31st to the Pirates for reliever Octavio Dotel. At first, J-Mac looked like a keeper; Lambo, not so much.
He struggled in 2011 at Altoona/Indy (.236, 11 home runs, 58 RBI) and then missed all but 35 games in 2012 with a hamate injury. “I wasn't mentally there,” he told Bob Cohn of the Tribune Review. “I didn't understand what was going on, wasn't playing the game the right way.” The epiphany had arrived.
Starting with the Curve in 2013, Lambo hit for the cycle on April 8th, 2013, and by early June he was promoted to Indy. He hit .284 with 24 doubles, 5 triples, 31 home runs and 97 RBI in 117 games between Altoona and Indianapolis, and would eventually be named 2013's Minor League Player of the Year by the Bucs.
His greatest recognition was when the Pirates announced in mid-August that he was coming up for his first taste of the show. He just turned 24, and the Pirates were looking for some pop in RF. Many thought he'd get an extended audition. They were wrong.
Jose Tabata came on strong in August, and then even he was planted on the bench when Marlon Byrd came to town. Lambo saw limited action as playoff races are rarely showtime for call-ups. In 33 at bats, he homered once while hitting .233, looking comfortable in the few opportunities he got. But those last six weeks didn't answer any questions regarding Lambo's future, other than indicating that he'll be with the big boys in the 2014 camp mix instead of on a bus criss-crossing Florida with the minor league group.
Defensively, he's a prototype left fielder, with at best an average arm and not much speed. In Pittsburgh, that makes you the right fielder, though his arm would be a concern. Then again, with Marlon Byrd looking for a sweet contract, Alex Presley gone, Travis Snider on thin ice and JT's inconsistent play, it may be his most likely landing spot. Lambo has played some first, though not very well. Whether that's due to inexperience - he's put on the mitt just 41 times in his minor league career - or iron hands isn't clear yet. That would also fill a hole in the Pirate dike.
It is a moot point except for team makeup; Lambo's value is on offense. The Pirates are hoping that his 2013 season on the farm is the result of growing up, not just an outlier year. It looks sustainable; his strikeout rate was about 25%, high but not outrageous for a power guy, with an acceptable 9% walk rate, which puts his usual OBP in the .340+ range.
The question is how that will translate into MLB numbers. We didn't get much chance to find out in 2013; we'll get our chance to really evaluate Lambo next season.
Showing posts with label andrew lambo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label andrew lambo. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Andrew Lambo...A Young Garrett Jones?
The Bucs created a little stir when they announced that Andrew Lambo, 25, was getting the call to the show tonight. The outfielder has been having a career year with 31 HR, 97 RBI a .284 BA and .350 OBP split between Altoona and Indy, and the Pirates are looking for some right field pop.
Lambo didn't exactly drop out of the blue. When he came to the Pirates in 2010, he had started the season as one of Dodgers' shining young stars. But as a high school draftee, LA (and in hindsight, the Pirates) may have been a little aggressive in moving him along; he tread water in AA for five long years as his prospect status sunk. A 50 game suspension for weed in 2010 while a Dodger farmhand didn't help his cause, either.
In 2011, the Pirates sent him to Indy in mid-season, and he fizzled. Last year, he started at Altoona, but hamate surgery cut his season short. This campaign, though, has been his breakout year; his power numbers at AAA Indy are even better than the ones he had for the AA Altoona Curve.
And therein lies the question: Is he having a career year or a breakout year? At the age of 25, Lambo is still young enough to be a prospect, even if the original glow has dimmed; just look at Jordy Mercer. But has he finally figured it out or is he just having one of those seasons where everything falls into place?
Well, that's what the Pirates are about to find out. We assume the Bucs called him up to play him, and for the Cards series and beyond, a lineup of righties is penciled in on the Pirate dance card. It's likely that he'll start as JT's new platoon partner, with Travis Snider on the DL and Alex Presley back at Indy.
It's also possible, given Tabata's lack of power, that Lambo gets an everyday shot for at least a short spell. His career splits aren't great - nor are they a chasm - and Bucco RF'ers have put up a mere .231 BA/.366 slugging %/75 OPS+ against southpaws, so the standards he has to better aren't very lofty.
Lambo has his Achilles' Heel, and that's K's. After hovering around the 20-21% rate during most of his career, this year it's risen to 26%. So you may be looking at Pedro Alvarez walk/whiff rates with Garrett Jones production. And that's probably a tradeoff the Pirates can live with if Lambo can lose an occasional baseball and drive in a couple of runs from RF. Like Jones, he's not much of a runner and a so-so defensive player who has spent some time at first; he's played there 19 times this year.
That's the role he was brought in to fill - to play RF and free Jones to play 1B against righties while providing a mid-lineup presence. Lambo is not a long-term answer in right field; the Pirates are hoping that Gregory Polanco can fly through the system ala Starling Marte to claim that spot, arriving maybe as soon as next summer.
But Lambo could stick as a younger, cheaper Jones in 2014 if he passes this year's audition. And that's the kind of performance the Bucs are looking for in the next few weeks.
Lambo didn't exactly drop out of the blue. When he came to the Pirates in 2010, he had started the season as one of Dodgers' shining young stars. But as a high school draftee, LA (and in hindsight, the Pirates) may have been a little aggressive in moving him along; he tread water in AA for five long years as his prospect status sunk. A 50 game suspension for weed in 2010 while a Dodger farmhand didn't help his cause, either.
In 2011, the Pirates sent him to Indy in mid-season, and he fizzled. Last year, he started at Altoona, but hamate surgery cut his season short. This campaign, though, has been his breakout year; his power numbers at AAA Indy are even better than the ones he had for the AA Altoona Curve.
And therein lies the question: Is he having a career year or a breakout year? At the age of 25, Lambo is still young enough to be a prospect, even if the original glow has dimmed; just look at Jordy Mercer. But has he finally figured it out or is he just having one of those seasons where everything falls into place?
Well, that's what the Pirates are about to find out. We assume the Bucs called him up to play him, and for the Cards series and beyond, a lineup of righties is penciled in on the Pirate dance card. It's likely that he'll start as JT's new platoon partner, with Travis Snider on the DL and Alex Presley back at Indy.
It's also possible, given Tabata's lack of power, that Lambo gets an everyday shot for at least a short spell. His career splits aren't great - nor are they a chasm - and Bucco RF'ers have put up a mere .231 BA/.366 slugging %/75 OPS+ against southpaws, so the standards he has to better aren't very lofty.
Lambo has his Achilles' Heel, and that's K's. After hovering around the 20-21% rate during most of his career, this year it's risen to 26%. So you may be looking at Pedro Alvarez walk/whiff rates with Garrett Jones production. And that's probably a tradeoff the Pirates can live with if Lambo can lose an occasional baseball and drive in a couple of runs from RF. Like Jones, he's not much of a runner and a so-so defensive player who has spent some time at first; he's played there 19 times this year.
That's the role he was brought in to fill - to play RF and free Jones to play 1B against righties while providing a mid-lineup presence. Lambo is not a long-term answer in right field; the Pirates are hoping that Gregory Polanco can fly through the system ala Starling Marte to claim that spot, arriving maybe as soon as next summer.
But Lambo could stick as a younger, cheaper Jones in 2014 if he passes this year's audition. And that's the kind of performance the Bucs are looking for in the next few weeks.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Dotel A Dodger
Octavio Dotel joined the clubhouse procession today as he was sent to LA with $500K for RHP James McDonald and OF Andrew Lambo.
McDonald, 25, was used mostly out of the pen by the Dodgers. He was the Dodgers 2007 and 2008 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, but went 5-6 with a 4.11 ERA over the past three seasons for the Blue. At AAA Albuquerque, he was a starter and had a 6-1 slate with a 4.41 ERA and 57 K in 63-1/3 innings.
He's not a hard thrower, hitting between 89-92 MPH, but has an excellent curve and good change. The question about his future seems to be whether it lies as a starter or from the pen. He's reporting directly to the Pirates.
Andrew Lambo, 21, the Dodgers’ fourth-round selection in the 2007 draft, was one of the organization’s top outfield prospects (and also played a lot of first base), but was suspended for 50 games on May 1st for testing positive, allegedly for weed.
So the left fielder comes with baggage, ala Lastings Milledge. Lambo is hitting .271 with 4 HR and 25 RBI in 198 at-bats at AA Chattanooga, and could be a steal for the Bucs if they can turn him around like they did with LM. Lambo will report to Altoona.
McDonald, 25, was used mostly out of the pen by the Dodgers. He was the Dodgers 2007 and 2008 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, but went 5-6 with a 4.11 ERA over the past three seasons for the Blue. At AAA Albuquerque, he was a starter and had a 6-1 slate with a 4.41 ERA and 57 K in 63-1/3 innings.
He's not a hard thrower, hitting between 89-92 MPH, but has an excellent curve and good change. The question about his future seems to be whether it lies as a starter or from the pen. He's reporting directly to the Pirates.
Andrew Lambo, 21, the Dodgers’ fourth-round selection in the 2007 draft, was one of the organization’s top outfield prospects (and also played a lot of first base), but was suspended for 50 games on May 1st for testing positive, allegedly for weed.
So the left fielder comes with baggage, ala Lastings Milledge. Lambo is hitting .271 with 4 HR and 25 RBI in 198 at-bats at AA Chattanooga, and could be a steal for the Bucs if they can turn him around like they did with LM. Lambo will report to Altoona.
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