Rays 2009 player preview: Ben Zobrist

April 2, 12:59 PMTampa Bay Rays ExaminerRob Quinn

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Ben Zobrist’s game should be featured in a Billy Mays commercial. He’s so versatile, just when you think you’ve listed all his skills, someone suddenly screams out "But wait, there’s more!!" The 6’ 3" utility man can play shortstop, second base, and third base. He also played all three outfield positions for the Rays in 2008. The switch-hitting Zobrist shed the "light-hitting infielder" tag last year by cracking 12 homers in only 198 at-bats, finishing second on the team with a .505 slugging average. Ben even contributed on the basepaths, going three for three in stolen base attempts. He is also fluent in over six million forms of communication. Okay, that last one may not be true, but you get the point, this guy can do it all.

The importance of having a super-utility player like Ben Zobrist around cannot be overstated. Over the course of a grueling 162-game season, it is important to keep players fresh and at the top of their game. Zobrist’s ability to play any position at a high level gives manager Joe Maddon the confidence to give any player a day off. The super-sub also gives the Rays the ability to play through injuries to the regular starters as well. I can hear Billy Mays now – "Put Zobrist in, and watch the Rays win!!"

The Rays are not into gimmicks, but Zobrist would be a definite candidate to become the fifth player in Major League history to play all nine positions in the same game. If the Rays can somehow clinch a playoff spot relatively early, perhaps Zobrist will be given that chance. Just throwing it out there.

Zobrist should see plenty of playing time in 2009, hopefully picking up where he left off last September when he hit .321 with five homers and a .732 slugging average for the month. Rays fans should expect to see him all over the diamond. To fans, Zobrist is probably the most underrated player on the Rays. Joe Maddon, however, knows just how valuable a Zobrist is to a team.

My 2009 prediction: 85 G, 274 AB, 10 HR, 34 RBI, .258 AVG, .434 SLG, 9 SB

Generally, Spring Training will not tell you how the regular season is going to go, but one thing is fairly certain for the Rays – they will run as much, if not more, than they did when they led the league in stolen bases in 2008. Zobrist could be a guy Joe Maddon chooses to turn loose a little bit, so I expect him to get a few more steals. Aside from that, Zobrist’s numbers should stay pretty close to their ’08 level.

In other news, I've already been proven wrong (won't be the last time) about the Rays' 25-man roster. The Rays have announced that Jason Isringhausen will start the season on the disabled list, Adam Kennedy will start the season in Durham, Matt Joyce will start the season with the Rays in Boston, and Morgan Ensberg will start the season in a van down by the river.  See just how wrong I was right here.

Ben Zobrist on Baseball Reference

Ben Zobrist on RetroSheet

Ben Zobrist on FanGraphs

Do you think Zobrist could play all nine positions in one game? Let me know in a comment.

Have a great story idea you want to pass along to me? Find an interpreter droid in the desert that you want to sell to me? E-mail me at raysexaminer@live.com

Tune in Sunday night April 5 for a special MLB preview edition of Speaking of Sports 2.0. Tampa Bay Sports Examiner Ted Fleming, Althea Pashman, and I will run through all of our 2009 predictions. The show airs from 7-9 p.m. on Sarasota’s WSRQ 1220 AM and you can listen live online right here.