2018 Husky Baseball Offense and Defense Preview
February 13, 2018 | Baseball
SEATTLE - The Washington Huskies will have to replace their entire 2017 starting outfield, an All-American catcher and break in a new full-time player at first and third in 2018. Gone are two-time Johnny Bench semifinalist and All-Pac-12 catcher Joey Morgan, All-Pac-12 outfielders MJ Hubbs and Jack Meggs, and the steady presence and veteran bat of John Naff at first base. While that sounds like a daunting haul of talent that the Huskies will need to replace on offense and in the field, there is plenty of optimism on Montlake as UW prepares for its season-opening, four-game series at Sacramento State.
The 2018 version of the Diamond Dawgs are rife with young, unproven stars in the making that are chomping at the bit to prove they belong. Add the youngsters to a mix of proven commodities that are hoping to raise their games to an even higher level, and Meggs believes the Huskies have the pieces in place to outperform the team's predicted seven-place finish by Pac-12 coaches.
"All of those preseason polls and predictions, I think they are all worthless in terms of what the bottom line is going to be," said Meggs.
"You just don't know."
Meggs cites recent history as proof that pre-season predictions are never set in stone and often serve as motivation. In 2014 and 2016 the Huskies were picked to finish tenth and eighth, respectively, in the Pac-12 pre-season poll. Both times, Washington exceeded expectations and finished second and headed to a NCAA Regional.
Perhaps the only safe prediction you can make about this year's Husky squad is that they will certainly play strong defense. For much of the 2017 season, the Huskies led the nation in fielding percentage and had committed the fewest errors in the country. If not for a hiccup down the stretch, the Huskies would have finished atop the national rankings. Instead, they had to settle for third-best nationally and tops in the Pac-12 with a stellar .982 fielding percentage.
"I think that we will be better this year," Meggs said about his team's defensive potential. "We will be more athletic across the board."
With junior shortstop AJ Graffanino and senior second baseman Levi Jordan returning up the middle, the Huskies are poised to repeat their stellar performance on defense again. Add strong-armed sophomore Ben Baird – who arrived on campus as the heir apparent at short, but outgrew the position – at third base, the versatile junior Willie MacIver and athletic sophomore Christian Jones at first base, and the defense in the infield should be in good hands.
When MacIver is not manning first, he will share the duties behind the plate with sophomore Nick Kahle. MacIver provides an athletic presence behind the plate and is steadily improving his catching skills, while Kahle is more polished as a receiver and thrower behind the dish. Both will also be expected to be in the lineup every day and both stand to continue the Huskies tradition of sending catching prospects to the professional level.
While the starting outfield will look completely different than last season, it will not be void of speed or talent. Converted shortstop, freshman Braiden Ward, will man center field. Veteran KJ Brady will take over in right field and junior college transfer Mason Cerrillo will start the season in left field. The trio could be able to cover the most ground in the outfield among Pac-12 teams.
The keys for the Huskies in 2018 are to maintain the high level of defense that they have become known for and how quickly the group will be able to find the formula for success at the plate. Here is a more in depth look at the 2018 Huskies:
OUTFIELD
Jack Meggs and Hubbs combined for 94 percent of the starts in center and right field during the 2017 season, while departed senior Kyle London accounted for nearly half of the starts in left field. Coach Meggs will have the tricky task of filling in the gaping holes left by the trios' departure, but with the help of assistant coach Dave Nakama, who is returning for his second stint on Meggs' UW staff, there is plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the outfield.
The Huskies will turn to Brady to be the vocal leader and provide senior wisdom in the outfield. He has made 53 starts in his three-year career and has played in 106 games, including having a prominent role on the 2016 NCAA Nashville Regional team. Brady started last year as a regular in left field, but could never get his bat going consistently. Meggs is confident that a more mature Brady is poised to return to his sophomore level with the bat when he hit .274 and be a regular in right fielder.
"(As a sophomore he) had a strong season," said Meggs. "We know he can do it. He got off to a tough start last year and it was tough to get him back in there, but we need his leadership and athletic ability."
Brady will also be instrumental in helping Ward work through adjustments as he familiarizes himself with the center field position. The senior will help the newcomer judge balls as they travel to the outfield and will be a nice safety net in the field. Ward has plus-plus speed which will help him both in the field and make him a natural candidate for the top of the batting order.
"Braiden is certainly the best runner in our program, maybe the best runner since Braden Bishop that we have had. He might even be a hair quicker," said Meggs.
Ward's speed should come in handy and help mask some of the growing pains as he learns on the fly.
"He is definitely learning out there, some of the nuances off the bat and just some of the practical strategies," said Meggs. "He can really run and you just can't teach that. He can outrun the ball at times and is going to learn on the job at center. We are hoping that before it is all over, his athletic ability overwhelms that position, and if that is the case, he is going to be pretty good."
Although Cerrillo has yet to play a game for the Huskies, he brings experience and strong credentials to the outfield. In 2016 as a freshman at Washington State, he hit .240 in 30 games (25 starts) and then hit .353 after transferring to Bellevue College in 2017.
Behind Cerrillo, a handful of players could get shots in left field. Freshman Kaiser Weiss can play all three outfield positions and should see some meaningful action. Christian Jones, Kahle, Jack Johnson and Noah Hsue also could be thrown into the mix in left field. Blake Burton, who was a third-team summer league All-American in 2017, has been working out mostly in right field and will be a top right-handed pinch-hitting candidate off the bench along with Johnson.
INFIELD
Graffanino and Jordan are the proven commodities in the Huskies' infield. The 6-foot-3 Graffanino has all the tools to be an All-Pac-12 and All-American shortstop. He committed six errors in 54 games – just two over the final 37 games – and batted .304 last May to end the season with a .269 average. If he continues his projected trajectory, he should surpass his billing as the No. 75 ranked prospect for the 2018 MLB Draft.
"How mature he can be for nine innings and if he can he keep his focus and preparation; those are going to determine whether he is one of the best shortstops in the country, or the third best shortstop in our league," Meggs said of Graffanino.
"It will also determine if he is going to be drafted in the first three rounds or in the 13th round. He knows that. His challenge has always been just staying with the routine stuff. He is such a talented kid that sometimes he makes the easy things a little bit too complicated."
Graffanino will have one of the best double-play partners to his left in Jordan. While Jordan's glove is elite, his bat is catching up and he could be one of UW's most dangerous hitters before it's all said and done. Before suffering a 2017 season-ending hamstring injury, Jordan was hitting .300 in Pac-12 play, .500 in May and had raised his overall average to .279. He is two-time honorable mention All-Pac-12 and could make the jump to the first team if he continues his offensive and defensive onslaught.
"Usually he ends up making a game-changing play or he gets a big hit or he'll make a great decision on the bases," Meggs explained of Jordan's intangibles. "If you let him slide below the radar, he's going to come back to bite you."
At third base, Baird has added 30 pounds to his frame since arriving on campus. His added strength should help him both offensively and defensively. His shortstop mentality and cannon arm will serve him well as he grows into his new role at the hot corner. Baird's bat still has a way to go, but during the fall he was one of the most improved hitters and showed some home run power.
"We need Ben Baird to hit and I expect him to have a breakout season at the plate," Meggs says of Baird, who collected four hits in 44 at bats as a freshman. "But he has an electric throwing arm across the diamond. We haven't had someone like that in a while."
Who will be catching all the balls thrown by Baird, Graffanino and Jordan at first base could be the biggest question at the start of the season. The left-handed hitting Jones and right-handed hitting MacIver figure to split the starts at the position. But neither has started a game at first in college. Nor has their backups: sophomore Nick Roberts and freshmen Jonathan Schiffer and Brandon Leitgeb. But between the group, Meggs is confident that whoever is thrown into the fire at the position will succeed.
"By the end of the year last year, Willie was more than adequate at third. He will be good at first base and goes from being an average defender at third, to an above average defender at first," said Meggs.
MacIver also brings the top returning bat to the lineup. He earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention status in 2017 after being second on the team in hits and multi-hit games. If he can continue his upward trajectory and improve on his .296 average and increase his power totals, MacIver will be an All-Pac-12 candidate and fulfill his projection as an early-round draft prospect.
Jones has prodigious power and was a 31st-round MLB Draft selection out of Federal Way High School. He homered in his second collegiate at bat last year as a freshman but struggled to find his groove. If he can make a jump as a sophomore, he will force his way into the lineup at first and left field.
Rounding out the infield are Schiffer, Roberts, Hsue and Leitgeb. Schiffer starred with the bat during the Purple and Gold World Series in the fall and will see action at both corner infield positions. Roberts hit .158 in limited action as a freshman and helped fill in at second when Jordan went out injured. He will most likely be the primary backup to Graffanino at shortstop and serve as a late-game defensive replacement at first base. Hsue is an intriguing freshman that will back up Jordan at second and has recently been practicing in left field. Leitgeb was a multi-sport star in high school and is transitioning from playing third to first base.
Joe Wainhouse will unlikely see the field at first base, but he will be an option as a pinch hitter and designated hitter from the left side of the plate. He has intriguing power capabilities and also will see time on the mound as a right-handed relief pitcher.
CATCHER
Replacing Morgan, who was voted the top defensive catcher in the Pac-12 last season and also hit .324 with a team high 45 RBI, will be a tall task for the Huskies. But, between MacIver and Kahle, the Huskies should not suffer too significant of a drop-off behind the plate.
"Nick is getting better every day," Meggs said. "He is a true catcher. He is a very good receiver and his throwing is getting better.
"Willie is more of an athlete back there and that is why the scouting community is so intrigued with him. He moves better than your typical catcher, running and bouncing around. He is just not as polished right now as Nick."
Both MacIver and Kahle are diverse enough to play multiple positions and both have bats that must be in the lineup every day. So when one is catching, the other will be busy elsewhere on the field or in the lineup as designated hitter.
Kahle hit .227 with two home runs and 20 RBI as a freshman and Meggs expects a natural progression in those numbers. Kahle will bat in the heart of the Huskies' order and will have plenty of chances to drive in runs.
Beyond Kahle and MacIver, redshirt-freshman Michael Petrie and junior transfer Casey Longaker will strap on the catching gear. Petrie led Mercer Island to a Washington State High School championship and is a well-respected leader on the team despite his youth. Longaker played defensive line for Sacramento State before deciding to transfer to Washington and resume a baseball career that he had put on hold.
"(Michael) is a steady, valuable piece as the third option at catcher because he is a great team guy," said Meggs. "He is an important part of the catching piece and he is getting better. He can come off the bench and take an at bat for you if you want or serve as a late-inning replacement."
Coming up next: A look at the Huskies pitching staff.
The 2018 version of the Diamond Dawgs are rife with young, unproven stars in the making that are chomping at the bit to prove they belong. Add the youngsters to a mix of proven commodities that are hoping to raise their games to an even higher level, and Meggs believes the Huskies have the pieces in place to outperform the team's predicted seven-place finish by Pac-12 coaches.
"All of those preseason polls and predictions, I think they are all worthless in terms of what the bottom line is going to be," said Meggs.
"You just don't know."
Meggs cites recent history as proof that pre-season predictions are never set in stone and often serve as motivation. In 2014 and 2016 the Huskies were picked to finish tenth and eighth, respectively, in the Pac-12 pre-season poll. Both times, Washington exceeded expectations and finished second and headed to a NCAA Regional.
Perhaps the only safe prediction you can make about this year's Husky squad is that they will certainly play strong defense. For much of the 2017 season, the Huskies led the nation in fielding percentage and had committed the fewest errors in the country. If not for a hiccup down the stretch, the Huskies would have finished atop the national rankings. Instead, they had to settle for third-best nationally and tops in the Pac-12 with a stellar .982 fielding percentage.
"I think that we will be better this year," Meggs said about his team's defensive potential. "We will be more athletic across the board."
With junior shortstop AJ Graffanino and senior second baseman Levi Jordan returning up the middle, the Huskies are poised to repeat their stellar performance on defense again. Add strong-armed sophomore Ben Baird – who arrived on campus as the heir apparent at short, but outgrew the position – at third base, the versatile junior Willie MacIver and athletic sophomore Christian Jones at first base, and the defense in the infield should be in good hands.
When MacIver is not manning first, he will share the duties behind the plate with sophomore Nick Kahle. MacIver provides an athletic presence behind the plate and is steadily improving his catching skills, while Kahle is more polished as a receiver and thrower behind the dish. Both will also be expected to be in the lineup every day and both stand to continue the Huskies tradition of sending catching prospects to the professional level.
While the starting outfield will look completely different than last season, it will not be void of speed or talent. Converted shortstop, freshman Braiden Ward, will man center field. Veteran KJ Brady will take over in right field and junior college transfer Mason Cerrillo will start the season in left field. The trio could be able to cover the most ground in the outfield among Pac-12 teams.
The keys for the Huskies in 2018 are to maintain the high level of defense that they have become known for and how quickly the group will be able to find the formula for success at the plate. Here is a more in depth look at the 2018 Huskies:
OUTFIELD
Jack Meggs and Hubbs combined for 94 percent of the starts in center and right field during the 2017 season, while departed senior Kyle London accounted for nearly half of the starts in left field. Coach Meggs will have the tricky task of filling in the gaping holes left by the trios' departure, but with the help of assistant coach Dave Nakama, who is returning for his second stint on Meggs' UW staff, there is plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the outfield.
The Huskies will turn to Brady to be the vocal leader and provide senior wisdom in the outfield. He has made 53 starts in his three-year career and has played in 106 games, including having a prominent role on the 2016 NCAA Nashville Regional team. Brady started last year as a regular in left field, but could never get his bat going consistently. Meggs is confident that a more mature Brady is poised to return to his sophomore level with the bat when he hit .274 and be a regular in right fielder.
"(As a sophomore he) had a strong season," said Meggs. "We know he can do it. He got off to a tough start last year and it was tough to get him back in there, but we need his leadership and athletic ability."
Brady will also be instrumental in helping Ward work through adjustments as he familiarizes himself with the center field position. The senior will help the newcomer judge balls as they travel to the outfield and will be a nice safety net in the field. Ward has plus-plus speed which will help him both in the field and make him a natural candidate for the top of the batting order.
"Braiden is certainly the best runner in our program, maybe the best runner since Braden Bishop that we have had. He might even be a hair quicker," said Meggs.
Ward's speed should come in handy and help mask some of the growing pains as he learns on the fly.
"He is definitely learning out there, some of the nuances off the bat and just some of the practical strategies," said Meggs. "He can really run and you just can't teach that. He can outrun the ball at times and is going to learn on the job at center. We are hoping that before it is all over, his athletic ability overwhelms that position, and if that is the case, he is going to be pretty good."
Although Cerrillo has yet to play a game for the Huskies, he brings experience and strong credentials to the outfield. In 2016 as a freshman at Washington State, he hit .240 in 30 games (25 starts) and then hit .353 after transferring to Bellevue College in 2017.
Behind Cerrillo, a handful of players could get shots in left field. Freshman Kaiser Weiss can play all three outfield positions and should see some meaningful action. Christian Jones, Kahle, Jack Johnson and Noah Hsue also could be thrown into the mix in left field. Blake Burton, who was a third-team summer league All-American in 2017, has been working out mostly in right field and will be a top right-handed pinch-hitting candidate off the bench along with Johnson.
INFIELD
Graffanino and Jordan are the proven commodities in the Huskies' infield. The 6-foot-3 Graffanino has all the tools to be an All-Pac-12 and All-American shortstop. He committed six errors in 54 games – just two over the final 37 games – and batted .304 last May to end the season with a .269 average. If he continues his projected trajectory, he should surpass his billing as the No. 75 ranked prospect for the 2018 MLB Draft.
"How mature he can be for nine innings and if he can he keep his focus and preparation; those are going to determine whether he is one of the best shortstops in the country, or the third best shortstop in our league," Meggs said of Graffanino.
"It will also determine if he is going to be drafted in the first three rounds or in the 13th round. He knows that. His challenge has always been just staying with the routine stuff. He is such a talented kid that sometimes he makes the easy things a little bit too complicated."
Graffanino will have one of the best double-play partners to his left in Jordan. While Jordan's glove is elite, his bat is catching up and he could be one of UW's most dangerous hitters before it's all said and done. Before suffering a 2017 season-ending hamstring injury, Jordan was hitting .300 in Pac-12 play, .500 in May and had raised his overall average to .279. He is two-time honorable mention All-Pac-12 and could make the jump to the first team if he continues his offensive and defensive onslaught.
"Usually he ends up making a game-changing play or he gets a big hit or he'll make a great decision on the bases," Meggs explained of Jordan's intangibles. "If you let him slide below the radar, he's going to come back to bite you."
At third base, Baird has added 30 pounds to his frame since arriving on campus. His added strength should help him both offensively and defensively. His shortstop mentality and cannon arm will serve him well as he grows into his new role at the hot corner. Baird's bat still has a way to go, but during the fall he was one of the most improved hitters and showed some home run power.
"We need Ben Baird to hit and I expect him to have a breakout season at the plate," Meggs says of Baird, who collected four hits in 44 at bats as a freshman. "But he has an electric throwing arm across the diamond. We haven't had someone like that in a while."
Who will be catching all the balls thrown by Baird, Graffanino and Jordan at first base could be the biggest question at the start of the season. The left-handed hitting Jones and right-handed hitting MacIver figure to split the starts at the position. But neither has started a game at first in college. Nor has their backups: sophomore Nick Roberts and freshmen Jonathan Schiffer and Brandon Leitgeb. But between the group, Meggs is confident that whoever is thrown into the fire at the position will succeed.
"By the end of the year last year, Willie was more than adequate at third. He will be good at first base and goes from being an average defender at third, to an above average defender at first," said Meggs.
MacIver also brings the top returning bat to the lineup. He earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention status in 2017 after being second on the team in hits and multi-hit games. If he can continue his upward trajectory and improve on his .296 average and increase his power totals, MacIver will be an All-Pac-12 candidate and fulfill his projection as an early-round draft prospect.
Jones has prodigious power and was a 31st-round MLB Draft selection out of Federal Way High School. He homered in his second collegiate at bat last year as a freshman but struggled to find his groove. If he can make a jump as a sophomore, he will force his way into the lineup at first and left field.
Rounding out the infield are Schiffer, Roberts, Hsue and Leitgeb. Schiffer starred with the bat during the Purple and Gold World Series in the fall and will see action at both corner infield positions. Roberts hit .158 in limited action as a freshman and helped fill in at second when Jordan went out injured. He will most likely be the primary backup to Graffanino at shortstop and serve as a late-game defensive replacement at first base. Hsue is an intriguing freshman that will back up Jordan at second and has recently been practicing in left field. Leitgeb was a multi-sport star in high school and is transitioning from playing third to first base.
Joe Wainhouse will unlikely see the field at first base, but he will be an option as a pinch hitter and designated hitter from the left side of the plate. He has intriguing power capabilities and also will see time on the mound as a right-handed relief pitcher.
CATCHER
Replacing Morgan, who was voted the top defensive catcher in the Pac-12 last season and also hit .324 with a team high 45 RBI, will be a tall task for the Huskies. But, between MacIver and Kahle, the Huskies should not suffer too significant of a drop-off behind the plate.
"Nick is getting better every day," Meggs said. "He is a true catcher. He is a very good receiver and his throwing is getting better.
"Willie is more of an athlete back there and that is why the scouting community is so intrigued with him. He moves better than your typical catcher, running and bouncing around. He is just not as polished right now as Nick."
Both MacIver and Kahle are diverse enough to play multiple positions and both have bats that must be in the lineup every day. So when one is catching, the other will be busy elsewhere on the field or in the lineup as designated hitter.
Kahle hit .227 with two home runs and 20 RBI as a freshman and Meggs expects a natural progression in those numbers. Kahle will bat in the heart of the Huskies' order and will have plenty of chances to drive in runs.
Beyond Kahle and MacIver, redshirt-freshman Michael Petrie and junior transfer Casey Longaker will strap on the catching gear. Petrie led Mercer Island to a Washington State High School championship and is a well-respected leader on the team despite his youth. Longaker played defensive line for Sacramento State before deciding to transfer to Washington and resume a baseball career that he had put on hold.
"(Michael) is a steady, valuable piece as the third option at catcher because he is a great team guy," said Meggs. "He is an important part of the catching piece and he is getting better. He can come off the bench and take an at bat for you if you want or serve as a late-inning replacement."
Coming up next: A look at the Huskies pitching staff.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF/C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP/DH
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballWednesday, July 08
Wednesday, July 08
Saturday, May 23
Thursday, May 21
