CHAZ LYTLE

10/27/80; '02 42nd; Univ. of Georgia
L/L; 6-1, 192

Level	BA	OBP	SA	AB	2B	3B	HR	BB	K	SB	CS
2002 A-	.292	.312	.302	192	2	0	0	7	16	14	6
2003 A	.335	.387	.382	364	11	3	0	26	39	22	2
2004 A+	.277	.319	.328	354	14	2	0	18	54	22	8

For me, Lytle epitomizes the Pirates' scouting philosophy in the last several years. He's fast and hits for average, but won't take a walk and is strictly a slap hitter who rarely drives the ball. He won the SAL batting title in 2003, earning him a starting job at Lynchburg in 2004. His BA and walk rate both dropped significantly, leaving him with a poor OBP, and his power remained near-nonexistent. His SB % also dropped, although it remains decent, and he doesn't play CF, which limits his usefulness. I've become convinced that slap hitters typically see their offensive production drop more sharply than other hitters as they move up. Defenses become better but the hitter doesn't become a faster runner, so IF hits and bloop hits become harder to come by. Lytle and Nyjer Morgan are good examples, while line-drive hitters like Rajai Davis and Nate McLouth have been able to maintain or improve their performance as they've advanced. Lytle has little value unless he hits well over .300. Lytle missed the last month of 2004 with an injury. He returned to Lynchburg at the start of 2005 as a backup.

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