Two Major One Minor 050112

Here is the third installment of Two Major One Minor for 2012. The players this week are Bryan LaHair, Chris Davis and Nathan Freiman. All three play first base for their respective teams.


Bryan LaHair of the Chicago Cubs is making the most of his late bloomer arrival to the Majors. He did spend some time with the Mariners in 2008 but they tossed him back and he had been swimming in the minors until the Cubs called him up late last season. In 2011 LaHair terrorized the pitchers he faced at Triple A as he hit .331/.405/.664 with 38 HR, 109 RBI, 91 R, 2 SB in 129 games. The Cubs brought him up and I snagged him off the waiver wire since he led the minors in home runs. He finished out 2011 hitting .288/.377/.508 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, 9 R, 0 SB in 20 games with the Cubs. Now he is the Cubs starting first baseman but looking over his shoulder at Anthony Rizzo in the minors. LaHair is proving his worth with a hot start to 2012 by hitting .390/.471/.780 with 5 HR, 14 RBI, 11 R, 0 SB in 20 games with the Cubs. He is a few at bats short of qualifying otherwise he would currently sit second in the MLB in slugging percentage. LaHair is playing like a keeper. He was originally drafted by the Mariners in the 39th round. LaHair will turn 30 on November 5.


Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles is another that has bounced back and forth between the minors and Majors the last few season. He did that last year few seasons with the Rangers before being traded and the Orioles now appear ready to give him a shot. He has helped his case by have a good start by hitting .310/.359/.563 with 4 HR, 12 RBI, 9 R, 0 SB in 21 games with the Orioles. He now plays in the tough AL East so we'll see how well he hold up. For his career he has hit .256/.305/.455 with 48 HR, 149 RBI, 140 R, 5 SB in 318 games. He was originally drafted by the Rangers in the fifth round in 2006. Davis turned 26 on March 17.


Nathan Freiman of the San Diego Padres' Double A team San Antonio Missions is finding his power stroke early and is hitting well in general. He is hitting .308/.364/.692 with 10 HR, 20 RBI, 17 R, 0 SB in 23 games at Double A. That follows his 2011 at Class A Advanced when he hit .288/.354/.487 with 22 HR, 111 RBI, 81 R, 6 SB in 138 games. He was originally drafted by the Padres in the eighth round in 2009. Freiman will turn 26 on December 31.