With Adrian Gonzalez entering his first full season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a lot is expected out of the first baseman going into 2013.
Gonzalez came over to the Dodgers last year in a massive blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox that sent him, along with pitcher Josh Beckett, injured outfielder Carl Crawford and utilityman Nick Punto to Los Angeles in exchange for first baseman James Loney and four prospects.
Gonzalez played well in 36 games with the Dodgers last season (.297/.344/.441, three home runs, 10 doubles, 22 RBI and 12 runs scored in 145 at-bats), but has clearly been missing his power stroke ever since being dealt from the Padres to the Red Sox in 2011.
Now back in the National League, I expect to see huge things out of Gonzalez’s bat this season and am confident that he will find his power stroke once again.
Not that he wasn’t surrounded by bats in Boston but, with a completely revamped, potent Dodger lineup this year, Gonzalez will have plenty of RBI and run-scoring opportunities.
But, at 30-years-old, has he lost some pop in his bat?
Remember, before Gonzalez was shipped off to the Red Sox, he played in cavernous Petco Park in San Diego and still managed to hit over 30 home runs per year and had close to four straight seasons of 100-plus RBI (he had 99 in 2009).
With his consistent swing and above-average patience at the plate, I’m sure the native Southern Californian will have no problems regaining his stroke in Los Angeles and should put up some huge numbers for the Dodgers in 2013.
What do you think? How will A-Gon do this year?
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