Players A to Z, Eric Hinske

Eric Hinske plays outfield in a utility role for the Atlanta Braves. Eric is a low batting average player who draws a decent number of walks and hits for power. He doesn’t do anything poorly, but he doesn’t excel at any part of offense, either. This is pretty much reflected in his WAR, a mark of 10.3 in ten years according to baseball reference. He doesn’t hurt much, but he doesn’t help much. Interestingly, Eric’s best year was his rookie season of 2002. He set his career high in home runs, batting average and OBP, and ended just shy of his career high in slugging. He looked like he would have a promising peak at that point, but the league adjusted to him and he never quite adjusted back. In 2004, pitchers changed their patterns against Eric as they threw him fewer fastballs and more change-ups. He never reached the promise of his rookie season. Still, he is a useful back up and pinch hitter. He’s not the kind of player that turns a team into a winner, but he might be the ...