If you have been a productive employee at your job for 3 years, can you imagine being fired for a few unproductive months in year 4? If you can, you should be able to relate to the pressure Dan Uggla will be under for the next two months. If you are under pressure to be productive, that also tells us that you are not a government employee, but that’s another post [that would be the one about Hirudinea who feast on small invertebrates].

Consider the following batting average statistics from his first three seasons:

• On average, May is his best month by over 70 points at .336
• May was his best month in each of his 3 seasons
• On average, June was his 2nd best month at .266
• June was his 2nd best month in 2 of his 3 seasons
• On average, September was his worst month at .230
• September was his worst month in 2 of his 3 seasons
• While Uggla has had some minor injuries, he has still gotten at least 60 at bats in 18 ‘full’ months across 3 seasons
• Uggla has hit over .300 in 4 of his 18 ‘full’ months of MLB. 3 in May, 1 in June

Consider the following slugging percentages from his first three seasons:

• On average, May is his best month by over 65 points at .639
• May was his best month in 2 of his 3 seasons
• On average, June was his 2nd best month at .574
• June was his 2nd best month in 2 of his 3 seasons
• On average, September was his worst month at .398
• September was his worst month in 2 of his 3 seasons
• Uggla has slugged over .500 in 7 [2 of them right at .500] of his 18 ‘full’ months of MLB. 3 in May, 2 in June, and 1 in August

If you are Larry Beinfest and Uggla continues to struggle, then the choice is almost made for him. The poor hitting, average defense and high [for the Marlins] salary, means that he will likely move Uggla.

The more interesting scenario is what happens if Uggla improves, but not to the level of how he has historically performed in May and June. While most fans would be happy to see the improvement and interpret it as evidence of Uggla ending his slump, they may not realize what Beinfest and now you, discerning 2 Think Good readers, now know; When it comes to Dan Uggla, May & June are as good as it gets.

We are not the only ones watching with interest of course. Up in the Marlins New Orleans Triple-A affiliate, left-handed hitting second baseman Chris Coghlan is currently tearing up the Pacific Coast League [batting .348, 8th in the league] and waiting. We know from an earlier post [see here] which examined how players are developed, the Marlins don’t want their top prospects to spend too much time in Triple-A before being given their MLB opportunity.

Dan Uggla is not just in a slump, he may be batting himself out of being an everyday second baseman in the National League a few months after winning an arbitration dispute with the Marlins and about one year after earning a spot on his 2nd All-Star team. Nothing against Beinfest or Coghlan, but that must suck.