Astros' Garrett Stubbs: Clubs second homer of season
Stubbs went 1-for-4 with a home run for Triple-A Fresno in its 5-4 loss to El Paso on Wednesday.
It was only the second long ball in 179 plate appearances on the season for Stubbs, but power has never been regarded as a major component of the backstop's game. Instead, Stubbs draws raves for his exceptional bat-to-ball and on-base skills, which are evident in his meager 15.6 percent strikeout rate and 9.8 percent walk rate, the latter of which is actually his lowest mark at any stop of the minors. An inflated .403 BABIP has propped Stubbs' average up to .346, but his aforementioned plate approach should allow him to at least be a neutral asset in that category when he hits the majors. There are more questions about Stubbs' ability to handle the rigors of catching, however, as he has already proven susceptible to injury during his young pro career and lacks ideal size for the position (5-foot-10, 175 pounds).
