The Underrated Season of Matt Holiday

Remember when Matt Holliday was leading the surging Rockies into their first franchise World Series back in 2007?  He then went on to finish runner-up in the Most Valuable Player voting to Jimmy Rollins to cap off his finest career yet.  Oh yes, at 27, Matt Holliday was bound for stardom.  

Now two years removed and a plane trip west after an offseason trade with Oakland,  Matt is receiving criticism for having his worst season yet.  At the end of the year, Holliday will most likely be a Type A Free Agent, but at a much lower salary than originally thought.  

With critics being proven right so far with Holliday's departure from the hitter's friendly Coors field, Scott Boras will have trouble reeling in the big contract with this one come winter.  

However, there might be more than meets the eye when it comes to breaking down Matt Holliday's offensive production thus far in 2009.  Overall this season, Holliday is batting at a .279 average, with 8 home runs, and 38 runs batted in with a .380 on base percentage.  Yes, of course his home run total is down but then again aren't a lot of other superstars right now.  But to say that Matt Holliday is a measly average joy on the diamond lost in Billy Beane's never ending games come trade deadline is flat out wrong.

During his first campaign with the Oakland Athletics, as a team, they have managed to find themselves somewhere in the bottom four of all six major offensive categories.  The A's are next to last in the AL in on-base percentage (.312) and third-to-last in runs scored (282).  But at least, to some hitters' credit, the Oakland Coliseum has always been known to be a pitcher's friendly park.  It ranks 20 out of 30 in the "MLB Park Factors" in runs at .932 and 22nd in home runs at .859 (below 1.000 average favors pitchers).

So why don't critics give Holliday the same break (.245 average at home, .305 on the road)?

Here are some number comparisons that are going to boggle your mind.  With runners on base this season, Holliday is batting .324 which is higher than Albert Pujols at .293.  

Here's the big one: with runners in scoring position, Holliday is batting .316 compared to National League home run leader Adrian Gonzalez at .213 (14 of 23 home runs hit with the bases empty).  

And finally one of the most crucial and important offensive statistics in baseball, with runners in scoring position and two outs, Matt is batting a whopping .423 compared to NL batting average leader David Wright at .244.

Matt's lowest situational batting average this season thus far is when leading off an inning, in which he's hitting a weak .222; Jason Bay (.214) and Evan Longoria (.179) when leading off an inning.  

I think you're getting the point here—when comparing the situational averages with many of the game's superstars, Holliday is still hitting with the best of them. If a contender with a potent line up or just one piece missing picks him up, expect the 2007 Matt Holiday to return.  

Oakland is a poor hitter's lineup and going nowhere this season, but if Billy Beane chooses to keep him for draft picks, a smart general manager will get Holliday at a much lower price tag but hopefully at an unexpected pleasant surprise.