Brian Bocock

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2006
A-:  223/305/282, 103 AB, 6 2B, 12 BB, 29 K, 6-7 SB
A:  000/000/000, 1 AB

Bocock hit very little in short season debut.  He fanned in over quarter of his ABs despite the lack of power.  He split his time between second and short.

2007
A:  292/354/379, 161 AB, 9 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 16 BB, 19 K, 26-34 SB
A+:  220/293/328, 345 AB, 19 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 35 BB, 105 K, 15-25 SB

Bocock spent about six weeks in low A and actually hit pretty well while moving exclusively to short.  He stole a remarkable 26 bases in 39 games.  The Giants promoted him to high A and he struggled there over the rest of the season in the hitting-happy California League.  He fanned in nearly a third of his ABs.  He stole 15 bases but was caught ten times.

2008
AAA:  163/254/187, 123 AB, 3 2B, 14 BB, 39 K, 7-10 SB
MLB:  143/258/156, 77 AB, 1 2B, 12 BB, 29 K, 4-6 SB

In a controversial move, Giants made Bocock their starting shortstop to open the season.  That lasted one month before he was sent down, as he was obviously overmatched at the plate, hitting 143/258/156 and fanning in 38% of his ABs.  He missed the majority of the rest of the year due to injury.  He was able to play 35 games in AAA and batted just 163/254/187, striking out a third of the time.

2009
A+:  241/303/339, 386 AB, 25 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 38 BB, 96 K, 6-13 SB
AA:  171/298/186, 70 AB, 1 2B, 12 BB, 20 K, 2-5 SB

The Giants sent Bocock all the way back to the California League for most of the season and he hit very little, striking out in a quarter of his ABs.  He spent about a month in the Eastern League and was overmatched there.

2010
AAA:  226/313/303, 380 AB, 11 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 49 BB, 88 K, 13-19 SB
MLB:  000/000/000, 5 AB, 3 K

The Blue Jays claimed Bocock off waivers in January, but they put him back on waivers three weeks later and the Phillies claimed him.  He spent season in AAA where, to no one’s surprise, he didn’t hit.  He did manage to cut his strikeouts to one every four and a half ABs.  The Phillies removed Bocock from their 40-man roster at mid-season, then added him back and called him up in mid-September when they needed a bench player.

2011
A+ (Phi):  286/250/286, 7 AB, 1 K
AAA (Phi):  224/290/298, 272 AB, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 26 BB, 71 K, 2-6 SB
AAA:  241/281/276, 29 AB, 1 2B, 2 BB, 7 K, 1-1 SB

Bocock suffered a fractured hand in spring training, then was optioned to AAA, where he hit about as usual.  The Phillies eventually removed him from the roster again and he cleared waivers.  The Pirates acquired him late in the season when injuries and promotions left them short of infielders in AAA.  After joining Indianapolis, he served as a utility player, mainly playing short.

2012
AA:  244/305/337, 270 AB, 17 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 23 BB, 42 K, 17-20 SB
AAA:  211/259/303, 76 AB, 5 2B, 1 3B, 5 BB, 13 K, 1-1 SB

Bocock signed with Toronto and spent most of the season as a utility man with their AA affiliate, mostly playing second.  He hit just slightly better than usual and cut his strikeouts.

2013
AAA (Wash):  182/245/250, 44 AB, 3 2B, 4 BB, 8 K, 2-3 SB
AAA (Pgh):  172/234/303, 99 AB, 4 2B, 3 HR, 7 BB, 22 K, 1-1 SB

The Nationals signed Bocock to a minor league deal, but he spent much of the first three months on the disabled list.  The Pirates picked him up in July to complete an earlier deal in which they’d sent Brian Jeroloman to the Nats for future considerations.  They needed a AAA infielder due to injuries and bereavement leave.  Bocock played as needed at second and short.  He had an out-of-character power outburst right after he joined the Indians and ended up with a 246/317/456 line for July.  In August he hit a more characteristic 086/135/114 and he finished the season in an 0-for-20 slump.

Bocock will be a free agent and likely will be elsewhere next year.