The Franchise: NL West

Jason Michael Barker

In the fourth installment of "The Franchise," we look at the National League West, a division with no shortage of superstar hitters. All five of the players profiled are unquestionably deserving of the franchise tag, and three of them are legitimate Hall of Famers. And while some players gain the former honor without the benefit of stellar statistics, today's group has no such problem. They are five of the best hitters in the game today.

Travis Lee, Arizona (1998 Stats)
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
23	26	99	13	28	3	0	4	10	13	25	1	1	.366	.434	.283

When you shell out $100M for a player who's never played an inning of major league baseball, you had better hope he turns into the franchise. Lee is finally getting to play in the bigs this season after having to wait in the minors for the Diamondbacks to become a real team. After struggling in both the third and fifth slot in the batting order to begin the season, a move to the cleanup position has seen his bat explode in the past week, and he's also drawn 9 of his 11 walks while hitting fourth. With his sweet left-handed swing and excellent defense around the bag, Lee should be a fixture at first base in Arizona for years to come. For more on Lee, see my NL Rookie Roundup.

Larry Walker, Colorado
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
31	122	445	99	145	32	4	34	96	49	73	22	4	.404	.648	.325

Walker, winner of the 1997 National League MVP award, is the poster child for Colorado's souped-up offensive attack. But before you attribute all of his success to the light air at Coors, take a look at his six seasons in Montreal. His on-base and slugging percentages were on the way up even before he took his game to Denver's rarefied air. Park effects do help explain his home run totals, however, which have increased noticeably since leaving Montreal's Olympic Stadium (a notorious pitchers' park). While Walker most likely peaked last season, he's a good enough hitter to produce at high levels for the next couple of seasons, barring major injury or a trade away from the friendly confines of Coors Field. One statistic of note are his stolen bases, which are a nice bonus for any slugger.

Mike Piazza, Los Angeles
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
29	137	512	91	178	22	0	36	107	63	83	2	1	.419	.602	.348

Of the five players on this list, Piazza is perhaps the most important to his team because of his relative value. As a catcher, Piazza is the best in baseball, with Ivan Rodriguez running a distant second. Outfield and first base (Walker, Tony Gwynn, Barry Bonds, and Lee) are positions from which you expect a great deal of offensive production, while catchers are not normally looked at as hitting machines. Piazza is the exception to the rule. Last season, he enjoyed what many have called the finest offensive season by a catcher in Major League history. His numbers: 40 home runs, 355 total bases, .362 average, and 1.069 OPS  are even more astounding when you consider that he played half his games in pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium. The only thing currently challenging his franchise status in LA is his contract. Piazza is a free agent at the end of the year, andhas held firm in his demands for over $100 M. The Dodgers have yet to give in, but new owner Rupert Murdoch's deep pockets may take care of any financial disputes.

Tony Gywnn, San Diego
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
38	133	526	82	192	36	2	10	86	39	20	13	5	.405	.496	.365

Gwynn, often called the best hitter in baseball, has been The Man in San Diego since breaking onto the scene back in 1982. In 1984, his first full season in the bigs, the portly outfielder rapped out 210 hits, batted .351, posted an on-base percentage of .410, and he hasn't looked back since. Gywnn is a lock to hit .300 every year, as he's done since 1983, and he's challenged .400 on several occasions: .370 in '87, .394 in '94, and .372 last season. His batting average numbers are particularly incredible since he doesn't walk much (just 55 times per 162 games played), despite a stellar batting eye which has helped him become one of the hardest men in baseball to strike out. In his 16 big-league seasons, Gwynn has never struck out more than 40 times in a season, whiffing just once per 21.2 at-bats. All these years of great hitting have left him near the magical 3000 hit plateau. He entered this season needing 220 hits (incidentally, the exact number he had in 1997) to attain baseball immortality, and barring injury I expect him to get there in this expansion (read: offensively explosive) season. Even with his almost anemic lack of power, Gywnn is one of the greatest hitters of all-time, and arguably the best in the game today. Just watching him hit is worth the price of admission.

Barry Bonds, San Francisco
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
33	154	518	118	154	28	5	38	111	139	82	36	8	.447	.592	.298

Bonds and Griffey are the only two players who come to mind when the great "Who's the best player in baseball?" debate rises, and with good reason. In the minds of most, Griffey has surpassed Bonds over the last couple of seasons, but Bonds has great career numbers and is, if not the best, at least the second best player in baseball. One area he has over Griffey is his penchant for drawing the base on balls. He's had six 100+ walk seasons in his career, resulting in a .407 career OBP. He hasn't been below .400 since 1989 (his fourth season in the league), and has been over .450 three times. But lest you think all he does is walk, he also has 379 career round-trippers and a .550 career slugging percentage. Bonds is also a great base stealer, with over 400 career swipes and an 82% success rate. Just for good measure, he's an excellent defensive player, with tremendous range and a strong, accurate arm. Barry Bonds is, as they say, the total package.

Jason Michael Barker's "The Franchise" series will continue Sunday with the National League Central. It isn't too late to vote for Pokey Reese, Fernando Vina, or Royce Clayton at jmb@strikethree.com.