Entering June 13, San Francisco Giants left fielder Nori Aoki ranked first in hits (77), second in batting average (.330) and third in on-base percentage (.398) among major league outfielders. He is putting together an excellent season out of the lead-off spot for the the Giants and has been one of the most consistent hitters in the majors.
After the departure of Michael Morse in the offseason, the Giants signed Aoki to a one-year contract and it has paid huge dividends so far. In his first season with the Giants, Aoki has been their best hitter at the top of the order and is a big reason for their overall success on offense.
After playing eight seasons in Japan, the 33-year-old is in his fourth MLB season and has put up extremely consistent numbers in the majors. Through his first three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals, Aoki was a steady source of batting average, runs and stolen bases. That trend has not changed this season with the Giants.
Through 59 games, Aoki leads his team with a .330 batting average and 12 stolen bases. He is also tied for second on the team with 30 runs.
Perhaps the most impressive statistic throughout Aokis’s career however has been the fact that he has recorded more walks than strikeouts. Entering June 13, Aoki has accumulated 163 career walks to go along with just 161 strikeouts. Those numbers indicate great plate discipline, which is why he is one of the most consistent hitters in baseball and a perfect fit for the lead-off spot.
Aoki has not been receiving a whole lot of media attention this season despite his spectacular numbers. However, as of the June 9 National League All-Star ballot update, Aoki was in fourth place among outfielders, trailing Bryce Harper, Matt Holliday and Giancarlo Stanton. It would be nice to see the left fielder get the nod in this season’s Midsummer Classic. He deserves it with the season he is having.
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