Photo by Al Rabon
Imagine this? You are a hitter and on pace to have a RBI per game you played. Well David Thompson, is close to doing just that this season with the Columbia Fireflies. Thompson has played in 57 games this season and collected 56 RBIs.
Thompson leads the South Atlantic League in RBIs despite two stints on the seven-day disabled list. Thompson missed ten games in May and eleven games in June.
I know its a different level but, to put in in perspective Thompson would be eighth in the majors with at least 15 games less than all the hitters in front of him.
Since returning from the DL, Thompson has knocked in seven runs already in just two games. He hit the go-ahead three-run home run in a 10-9 win on Tuesday.
While Thompson his overall stat line is good but, not great (.296/.346/.484), how can he drive in so many runs?
Well for most of the early season he had Vinny Siena in front of him. Siena had a .435 on base percentage before being promoted to the St. Lucie Mets.
Another reason for Thompson’s RBI success is his ability to drive the ball, he has collected 63 hits this season and 28 of them were for extra bases. He has hit 21 doubles, two triples and five home runs.
The biggest reason is his ability to hit well with runners on. With the bases empty this season he has hit just .255 but has hit .384 with runners in scoring position.
When in the lineup, the 22-year old third baseman has shown he is capable of coming through in big spots for the Fireflies. I hope to see Thompson get promoted soon if he is able to keep up as the ”RBI Machine” we have become accustomed to seeing in the South Atlantic League.
If not for the DL stints, he might already be in St. Lucie. My guess is that we’ll see him there in a month or so if he can stay healthy. I haven’t seen him much defensively, but hopefully he can stick at 3B, and not have to be moved across the diamond.
I think Urena being in St. Lucie makes it tough for him to get promoted too. I have actually been pleasantly surprised with his D at 3B, definitely passable there.
So, you’re saying that Thompson is rooting like hell for Urena to keep hitting the way he’s been hitting this week, or else fall off the face of the earth.
lol, I don’t think he really worries about that and Urena isn’t going anywhere this year.
Good grief. Get a proof reader. Some of the text is barely understandable.
Thompson is doing exactly what he did for The Miami Hurricanes – drive in runs, was either first or second in the nation, in 2015, Division I college baseball.
Led the nation with 90!
Perhaps you can do that?
Yes, I could, but I don’t write for that paper. The punctuation is terrible and that’s part of what makes some of the paragraphs difficult to understand.
I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m working hard to get better and better. I’m born and raised in the Netherlands and still live there so English is not my main language