Key Stats: What a difference protection in the lineup makes... Pence was having a solid all-around year before a July trade freed him from the quad A squad in Houston. The power numbers were down slightly, only 11 HR's and a .163 ISO (his lowest ever) through 100 games with the Astros, but once he reached the city of Brotherly Love he was a new man, equaling his HR's to that point and producing a .234 ISO and a .954 OPS in 54 games down the stretch. We can't say the ballpark played a factor last year as according to statcorner.com both Citizens Bank Park and Minute Maid Park are extremely favorable to the long ball off right handed bats.
Skeptics Say: One aspect of Pence's game that really drove up his value was that he could be viewed as a power/speed threat in the outfield. Having stolen 14 and 18 bases in 2009 and '10, I thought 2011 would be his first 20/20 season. Managerial minds prevailed though, and saw that despite the steal totals Pence was accumulat...
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