I’ve been reading up on baseball stats lately, just kind of noodling around online like I do sometimes. Came across the name Xavier Avery. Heard bits and pieces about him, you know? Kinda figured he was one of those guys who showed flashes but maybe never stuck solidly in the big leagues for years and years. Wanted to really see why people talked about him, what supposedly made him stand out back in the day.
Just Starting – Wading In
My usual spot is Baseball-Reference. Headed straight there. Popped “Xavier Avery” into the search bar. Took a quick look at the top-line numbers: .223 batting average, 4 homers, 21 stolen bases. At first glance, honestly? It didn’t jump off the screen and smack me in the face. I thought, “Okay, solid runner, but nothing screaming ‘superstar’ here.” Felt like I was missing something obvious.
Digging Deeper – What Caught My Eye
So I kept scrolling. Wasn’t really looking for anything specific, just poking. Then I saw his age when he made his debut: 22 years old. Kid was young. But that wasn’t the big deal. Kept going down the page. Bam! There it was:
- That one year in Triple-A, 2011 I think it was? Dude hit .301.
- And then, get this, in the Major Leagues the very next year, he stole 15 bases in only like 60 games or something? The math felt funny.
Did some quick figuring in my head. Averaged out, that meant he was stealing bags at a crazy rate when he actually got on base. Started thinking less about the total homers or average, more about what he could do.
Putting The Pieces Together
Got to reading some of the scouting blurbs right on his page. Kept seeing words like “plus-plus speed” and “athleticism.” That clicked. Looked back at his stolen base success rate – dude got caught hardly ever! Made sense now. It wasn’t about power hitting with him. Totally different game. Felt like I was onto something.
Then I remembered something dumb. Years ago, caught maybe 3 innings of a mid-season Orioles game, totally random channel surfing. Saw this guy fly down the line for an infield hit. Might’ve been him? Hard to say. But remembering that blur of speed, seeing it in my head, connected the dots. His standout thing wasn’t gonna show up in huge homer numbers. It was pure, raw speed and the fact he could actually use it on the bases. Instant terror for the other team’s pitchers and catchers whenever he was on first. That was the difference maker, the reason he stood out when he played. Simple as that.
