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Outfielder Gerardo Parra's swing is smooth and easy, a stroke that produces high numbers of line drives and ground balls. His future role in the big leagues might be tied to how many more of the former he hits than the latter.
Most baseball scouts don't foresee Parra developing into a big-time power threat, and because he isn't great defensively in center field, he probably will need to hit for average - and keep on hitting - to have value as a regular corner outfielder.
"For me, he has a chance to be a .300 hitter in the big leagues," said Junior Noboa, the Diamondbacks' director of Latin American operations.
"The more time that he spends in the big leagues, he's going to be a better player. He's still maturing in a lot of areas. I think this year is going to be a very, very important year for him."
Parra, 22, who signed for $125,000 out of Venezuela in 2004, arrived in camp this year looking stronger, more physically mature, but when it comes to his power development, the Diamondbacks don't seem to be pushing the issue, wary of forcing a square peg into a round hole.
"One of his gifts as a hitter is he's very good, bat to ball," General Manager Josh Byrnes said. "He's always hit for a high average. Like a lot of guys at this level, he hits a lot of line drives and hard ground balls. He's not really in lift mode too often.
"A lot of it is you don't want to start sacrificing your strengths in order to hit a few more homers."
Parra wasn't far from being a .300 hitter last season, and he would have been if he hadn't struggled so badly against left-handed pitchers. How he hits lefties will be another development key in determining his long-term role.
Overall, he hit .290 in 455 at-bats as a rookie last season. Against right-handers, he hit .310, with a .345 on-base and .456 slugging percentages, but those numbers dipped to .220/.250/.220 vs. lefties.
"I've always been able to hit left-handers," Parra said in Spanish, with teammate Miguel Montero translating. "Last year, I was trying to do too much against them instead of trying to stay in the middle of the field or to the opposite field. It doesn't bother me facing them because I've always been able to hit them."
Parra's minor-league numbers support that. He always has hit righties better, but he wasn't helpless against lefties.
Though Conor Jackson is expected to get the bulk of the at-bats in left field, people with the club envision Parra getting about 350 plate appearances. Parra, who could press center fielder Chris Young for playing time, doesn't sound concerned about finding his way into the lineup.
"I want to play well and try to win a job," he said.
"But I don't want to try to do too much.
"If I'm not in the lineup, I can't control that, but I'll be ready to pinch-hit and contribute some way, somehow."
Most baseball scouts don't foresee Parra developing into a big-time power threat, and because he isn't great defensively in center field, he probably will need to hit for average - and keep on hitting - to have value as a regular corner outfielder.
"For me, he has a chance to be a .300 hitter in the big leagues," said Junior Noboa, the Diamondbacks' director of Latin American operations.
"The more time that he spends in the big leagues, he's going to be a better player. He's still maturing in a lot of areas. I think this year is going to be a very, very important year for him."
Parra, 22, who signed for $125,000 out of Venezuela in 2004, arrived in camp this year looking stronger, more physically mature, but when it comes to his power development, the Diamondbacks don't seem to be pushing the issue, wary of forcing a square peg into a round hole.
"One of his gifts as a hitter is he's very good, bat to ball," General Manager Josh Byrnes said. "He's always hit for a high average. Like a lot of guys at this level, he hits a lot of line drives and hard ground balls. He's not really in lift mode too often.
"A lot of it is you don't want to start sacrificing your strengths in order to hit a few more homers."
Parra wasn't far from being a .300 hitter last season, and he would have been if he hadn't struggled so badly against left-handed pitchers. How he hits lefties will be another development key in determining his long-term role.
Overall, he hit .290 in 455 at-bats as a rookie last season. Against right-handers, he hit .310, with a .345 on-base and .456 slugging percentages, but those numbers dipped to .220/.250/.220 vs. lefties.
"I've always been able to hit left-handers," Parra said in Spanish, with teammate Miguel Montero translating. "Last year, I was trying to do too much against them instead of trying to stay in the middle of the field or to the opposite field. It doesn't bother me facing them because I've always been able to hit them."
Parra's minor-league numbers support that. He always has hit righties better, but he wasn't helpless against lefties.
Though Conor Jackson is expected to get the bulk of the at-bats in left field, people with the club envision Parra getting about 350 plate appearances. Parra, who could press center fielder Chris Young for playing time, doesn't sound concerned about finding his way into the lineup.
"I want to play well and try to win a job," he said.
"But I don't want to try to do too much.
"If I'm not in the lineup, I can't control that, but I'll be ready to pinch-hit and contribute some way, somehow."
