30 Players in 30 Days: Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond

After being drafted in the third round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, shortstop Ian Desmond made his long-awaited Major League debut on September 11, 2009. His Big League career got off to a picture perfect start when he went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in his debut.

Offensively, Desmond exploded this year. After being a career .247/.313/.373 hitter during his first five Minor League seasons, he went .330/.401/.477 in the Minors this season. Even though he didn’t hit at that same clip in the Majors, he still tore the cover off the ball. In 21 games during the month of September, he hit .280/.318/.561 with seven doubles, three triples and four home runs.

“This is a year where balls fell in,” Desmond said. “I changed my approach to the plate. I’m a lot more confident with two strikes. Besides that, I’m just getting hits. I’m hitting the ball on the ground a lot more, which is creating base hits.”

In 2009, Baseball America’s Best Tools Survey named Desmond “Best infield Arm” in the Nationals system. While he has a strong throwing arm, he has cast some doubts due to his recklessness, collecting 28 errors in the Minors and six in the Majors. However, he is a good athlete and has great range in the field.

“He is very comfortable,” Interim Manager Jim Riggleman said. “He knows he can play here. He’s fielding the ball nicely, throwing to first nicely, [has good] communication with the other [players]. He was a real boost for us.”

As of now, Desmond looks to be the shortstop of the future for the Nationals, potentially moving Cristian Guzman over to second base. In preparation for this, Desmond will spend time in the Dominican Republic this winter playing for the Licey Tigers with teammate Elijah Dukes.