I think we know which Drew Stubbs we'd rather see this season.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how Drew Stubbs responds to his…less than stellar performance last year. Last year, he hit .243/.321/.364 in 158 games. Obviously, strikeouts for Stubbs were a huge problem. He had 205 on the season (37 more than in ’10) and quite frankly, never seemed comfortable at the plate. I hate to say it, but I personally never had faith in Stubbs to get on base, and it didn’t seem like he had faith in himself. Stubbs’ slugging percentage also dropped last season quite a bit (from .444 in ’10).

Enough dwelling. What about this season? I think Stubbs will bounce back. I don’t think the leadoff spot is right for him, he didn’t handle the pressure nor could he get on base enough. I expect his stellar defense to continue (maybe he can slow down and dive for a ball or two and win a Gold Glove?) and steal more bases this season. I think Stubbs has a lot of raw talent and needs to translate it into game-changing plays. I think his position in center field is all but locked up; I think we’ll see him out there regularly regardless of his performance at the plate.