Catcher: Jason Jaramillo was selected to play for the IL All-Star team and most deservedly so. He was hot in April, ice cold in May and hot again in June and to this point in July. This has all added up to an average of .275, (eleventh on the Lynx), 34 runs scored, (tied for third), 74 hits, (fourth), four doubles and a surprising three triples. Jaramillo was tied for second with five home runs and finished third on the Lynx with 37 RBI. He had 99 total bases, (fifth), walked 29 times, (third), and slugged .368 good for only eighth among the regulars. He was fifth in OBP, (.353), and seventh in OPS, (.721).

First base/DH: Gary Burnham amongst IL batters ranks thirteenth in average, (.303), is tied for fourth with 24 doubles, fourteenth with 48 RBI. His 128 total bases rank him twentieth, he walked 40 times for thirteenth place and has an OPS of .834, good for twentieth in the IL. He leads the Lynx in almost every category. Burnham ranks second in average on the Lynx, (.303) and technically first with the retirement of Lou Collier), first in doubles, (24) RBI and total bases, (48-128), first in walks, (40),and first in OBP, SLG and OPS, (.398-.435-.834). Burnham is second in hits, (89), and tied for second in home runs with five.

Second Base: Joe Thurston has seen his batting average climb each month and is now tied with Chris Roberson for the team lead in stolen bases with thirteen,( although he has been caught twelve times). He has increased his average to a solid .269 and is second on the team with 44 runs scored, only two behind team leader Chris Roberson in fifteen fewer at bats. His 88 hits place him third on the team and his 14 doubles place him fourth. He has a team leading six triples including two in one game and he has walked 32 times, (2^nd). His OBP, (.342) ranks him third among the regulars and he has 122 total bases, (second behind Burnham). But Thurston and Roberson, the one-two hitters this year, have struck out a combined 87 times in 87 games and have combined for only 90 runs.

Shortstop: Danny Sandoval has hit like most good field no hit infielders except he has thirteen errors. A average of .254, 15 RBI, 20 runs scored and an OBP of .273. Add in five doubles and four stolen bases and you’ve got your typical good filed not much hit infielder. But players like Sandoval are paid more for their defence and their ability to play several positions. Big offensive contributions are generally expected from other positions.

Third Base: Brennan King’s 2007 season was interrupted for a couple of weeks in May with a broken thumb. Hard work on his part during his stint on the DL paid off as in his very first game back he hit a home run and now leads the Lynx with seven. He is fifth in RBI with 34, fifth in runs scored with 34, hits with 71 and in SLG at .411. King ranks fourth in total bases with 106 and sixth in OPS at .750. Solid if unspectacular numbers but King has been producing good numbers since his return and the advent of the warm summer weather.

Left Field: Jim Rushford has been the normal everyday left fielder for Ottawa this season and has appeared in 75 games. He has been steady each month and his average for the season sits at .274, sixth on the team. But he is well down the list in SLG, (.347), and OPS, (.688) and has 19 doubles and no home runs. He is tied with King with 71 hits and is sixth with only 90 total bases. He has only struck out 14 times all season but has been more of a singles hitter in a traditional power position. More power numbers, (doubles and home runs), are needed from left field than Rushford has been able to produce.

Centre Field: Chris Roberson is one of the fastest players in the league but in batting leadoff, getting on base, scoring runs and utilizing his speed are the two offensive categories he needs to excel in. While there has been improvement each month and he has played spectacular defence, his numbers are not where the team, or Roberson, would like them to be. Roberson has managed to get his average up to .263 but his OBP is low, (for your ideal leadoff hitter), at .316. He does lead the team with 49 runs scored, (he also has the most at bats-342), is third with 117 total bases and he did lead the team in RBI for much of the first half, (he now sits tied for fourth with 36). He has walked only 25 times. He also has only thirteen stolen bases in twenty attempts Players such as Roberson need to draw more walks and hit the ball on the ground much more often.

Right Field: Pedro Swann has been playing right field more often than not for Ottawa lately. In the 41 games he has played for the Lynx this season, the veteran has produced four home runs and thirteen RBI along with an average of .265. Since getting regular playing time he has been much more effective and usually has hit in the number eight spot. He has nine doubles and has scored eighteen runs. He has slugged a very good .434 and his OPS is also solid at .745. But at thirty six years of age, his career is probably winding down and his numbers are unlikely to improve over the second half. Still, he did seem to jump start the offence a bit after rejoining the ball club.

That’s the basic rundown on the regulars this first half of the 2007 season. Later this week I’ll get into some of the more non traditional offensive breakdowns for the first half.