Richie Sexson (1B), Mil

RICHIE SEXSON - MILWAUKEE BREWERS

First Base
Age: 27 (December 29, 1974)
Height: 6-8 Weight: 227
Throws: Right Bats: Right



History

Richie Sexson was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 24th round of the 1993 amateur draft. Once considered a long-shot to make the big league club, Sexson has developed into one of the top home run threats in all of baseball. A successful minor leaguer, Sexson didn’t develop his home-run stroke until long into his stint in the minors. Given his versatility and exceptional power, Sexson has developed into one of the top first baseman in baseball.

Sexson excelled with the big league club in 1998, the year that provided him with his first shot at an extended stay in the majors. His 11 home runs in 49 games were impressive, as was his high average. With no position readily available for Sexson to occupy during the 99’ campaign, he was forced to develop his skills in left field, and he split time between left and first. Sexson excelled at his new position, and did not commit a single error in the outfield. His 31 homers and 116 RBI marked significant progress, and his 7 triples were amongst the league leaders.

Cleveland, in need of an accomplished closer, traded Sexson to the Milwaukee Brewers in a package that brought reliever Bob Wickman to the Indians in the middle of the 2000 season. Disappointed with the deadline deal, Sexson nearly topped his home run production with Cleveland for that year while in Milwaukee, despite playing in 34 fewer games. With a gaping hole at first, Sexson was able to settle in permanently at corner infield and has not played outfield since.

2002 Expectations

Expectations were high for Sexson, who was coming off a career-high 45 home runs in 2001. Talk about a possible 50-homer season engulfed Sexson, who is one of the Brewers’ few All-Star caliber players. Critics argued that Sexson accumulates an unacceptable amount of strikeouts, and predicted a large decline in his batting average. As the debate wore on, Sexson set out to prove his doubters wrong.

Silence

Largely due to his exemplary performance both offensively and defensively, Sexson was elected to the 2002 All-Star game, thus silencing those critics who doubted his game. Sexson has improved upon many facets of his game, shown by his increase in walks and batting average, decrease in total strikeouts, and a hefty raise to his batting average.

Should Sexson continue on his current pace, his final numbers would read .282-34-112, with 93 runs scored. His 63 walks would mark a career-high, while his 136 strikeouts would be well off the pace of past seasons. Predominantly a second-half player, Sexson should do nothing but improve upon his projected numbers to finish off with his most impressive season yet.

Facing the Future

Sexson has tremendous power and can hit the ball to all fields, although his tendency is to drill the ball from gap to gap. Pitchers have learned to pitch Sexson inside, but he has made adjustments and is now harder to jam with inside pitches. His fielding is incredible, and he has already accomplished a number of seasons that have been worthy of a Gold Glove.

Sexson should only continue to grow with time, and may soon develop the 50-homer potential that many baseball insiders envision. Viewed as a cornerstone for the Brewers’ future, Sexson has been mentioned in trade rumors that would send him to San Francisco or another contender over the offseason in exchange for a number of prospects. Should such a deal occur, Sexson would continue to see a rise in his overall production, resulting from added protection surrounding him in the middle of the lineup.

Keep an eye on Sexson, as he is a star-in-the-making.

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Richie Sexson
Indians Minor League Reporter