One Man’s Trash: Enlightenment At The Monasterio

Why do chicks like the long ball? Is a hot dog called a hot dog when it is no longer hot? If I run to first base after ball four, is it still considered a walk? These questions were troubling me as countless hours of meditation produced nothing, so I did what any normal human would do. Eat some shrooms and walk into the mountains. As the branches became poisonous snakes and the dirt moved as if the tide was moving out, a bald, pot-bellied Asian man whispered into my ear, “To cross the road. It is what it is. Never rush.” How did you….”Shhhhh,” the little fat Asian man hissed, then pointed upwards. I put my head down and trudged up. One foot after another. I then began to understand the silliness of my ways. Too often focusing on the wrong things, then BAM! WHOOSH! THUMP! As I wiped the blood from my lip and blinked the haziness clear, there stood before me Andruw Monasterio.

Andruw Monasterio is 29 years old, 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, and bats from the right side. He was not a highly-touted prospect. Nope, at age 17, he tried out for the Chicago Cubs at a Venezuelan academy. Two years later, he was in Single-A. In 2018, Monasterio was traded to the Washington Nationals, sent to the Cleveland Indians a few months later, and then elected for free agency in 2020. The Milwaukee Brewers scooped him up, and he played there until 2025 before being traded to the Boston Red Sox prior to this season.

During his minor league career, the power was non-existent while he did show a sprinkle of speed. He never hit double-digit home runs in a season but racked up double-digit steals three times. The plate discipline, though, was the standout skill as the strikeout rate was often in the low teens.

Monsterio made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Brewers. The ISO was .089 with a 21% strikeout rate. He produced three home runs, 38 runs, 27 RBI and seven stolen bases in 315 plate appearances.

Last season, the power spiked, as the ISO was .167 in 135 plate appearances. Through 253 plate appearances this season, the ISO is .180. Monasterio is slashing .268/.329/.447 with a 7.9% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate. He has six home runs, 30 runs, 31 RBI and four stolen bases.

Always known as a utility player, Andruw Monasterio has played 38 games at shortstop, 28 at second base, 10 as the designated hitter, nine at third base and three at first base. Due to injuries, though, Monasterio has become the starting shortstop for the hottest team in MLB.

July 1 is when he started playing shortstop on a regular basis. Over that span, he accrued 116 plate appearances and slashed .333/.409/.556. The walk rate is 10.3%, the strikeout rate is 17.2%, and the ISO is .222. The batting average has been fueled by a .385 BABIP, though. He’s racked up three home runs, 15 runs, 19 RBI and three stolen bases with a wRC+ of 165. He batted leadoff once while being in the 5, 6, 7 and 8 positions in the order.

The Statcast numbers are chef’s kiss, with an average exit velocity of 88.9 mph, launch angle of 21.7 degrees, and a barrel rate of 9.8%. He’s pulling the ball 43.9% of the time while producing a hard hit rate of 41.5%. The chase rate has only been 23.5% while the contact rate in the zone is a beautiful 91.6%.

When Monasterio first arrived in Milwaukee, the launch angle was 12.3 degrees in Triple-A. That increased to 17.7 degrees in the majors. Two seasons later, that number was over 20 degrees. The average exit velocity has remained in the 89 mph range, though. When he first arrived in Chicago, the GB/FB was over 1 and got to as high as 1.84. That number is 0.68 this season.

I still have some skepticism regarding the power, but it’s now been 518 plate appearances over two seasons with an ISO over .160. He does have significant splits in terms of that power, as the ISO is only .105 against righties but .306 against lefties with a wRC+ of 162.

Is Andruw Monasterio a league winner? Absolutely not, but he has multi-position eligibility, doesn’t strike out often, and is mashing lefties. You know when to play him, and he provides versatility for your lineup. Enlightenment comes from realizing it’s not always about having it all. Oftentimes, it is the little things in life that provide all you need.