Black Sox Beat Writer
Chicago Sports Online
The Chicago Black Sox have selected their Hitter of the Year for 2040 – and the choice was both obvious and unanimous: Tommy Cochran.
Tommy Cochran
Although Cochran got a taste of the majors in 2038 with a September call-up and a slightly more extended look in 2039, this past season was his first as a full-time fixture in the lineup.
And he made the most of it.
The right-handed DH/first baseman slashed .301/.343/.563, with a .906 OPS and 2.8 WAR. He hit 31 home runs, scored 72 runs and had 92 RBIs. He led the Black Sox in virtually every offensive category, except stolen bases.
“I think everyone knew Tommy had this in him, and we expect he’ll be even better next season,” said hitting coach Valentino Mercati.
Cochran plays a position crowded with talent in Chicago (1B Mark Simpson, who went down with an ankle injury in July; AAA 1B/DH prospect Aarnoud Budding; and 1B Emilio Lugo), but there’s no reason to think he’ll lose playing time.
That’s because he’s proven he can hit against both righties and lefties.
Certainly, Cochran hit lefties with more efficiency than right-handers (.344/.382/.677 vs. .277/.322/.828). But even so, he hit right-handers better than everyone on the team this past season except 3B Luis González.
And, Cochran actually hit more homers off right-handers (18) than left-handers (13).
“You can see why we played him pretty much everyday, regardless of who was pitching,” said Manager Bret Richards. “He gave us a better chance than anyone else we could send up there.”
All of which is to say that Cochran isn’t worried about competition for playing time.
“Bring ‘em on,” he said. “I’ve always thought I can hit with anyone – and this year, I proved it.”