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Laynce Nix went 4-for-4 last night to raise his average to .286. With 12 home runs and 30 RBIs, he's third on the club in both categories.
Oh yeah, he's done all that in 189 at-bats.
The Nix signing occurred Feb. 3 of this year, not long before the start of spring training. What other clubs may have been interested prior to that must be kicking themselves. His numbers so far would seem to indicate he's having his career year, which previously would have been 2009 with Cincinnati, when he hit 15 bombs and drove in 46 runs, while hitting just .239 in 309 at-bats.
Nix looks like a ballplayer - a football player. He's built like a running back or an 80s vintage linebacker. Muscles everywhere. I walked out if the ballpark with him one night and he was actually carrying a bat over his shoulder, a well-worn piece of lumber. I didn't ask him why; my mental image was of him either practicing his swing in front of a mirror, or possibly just grinding it into sawdust with his bare hands.
At break-even, the Nationals will have to decide if they're going after the glory this year, which essentially means they have to determine whether they're buyers or sellers at the end of July. If they're buyers, Nix is going nowhere. He's too good at what he's doing at the moment. If they're sellers, Nix will likely be at the top of the list of every team looking for a lefty swinger with pop. With a reported salary figure of just $700,000 this year, he's also a heck of a bargain.
Nix is in such a groove this year, you almost hate to see him in another uniform. His home splits are terrific - he's batting .299 at Nats Park - and the Nats play most of their remaining games in D.C. He'd likely bring a higher end prospect, despite the fact that he's 30-years-old. He told me in a MASN interview that he really likes the Washington area, and the fans have really warmed up to him. If he's still a National on August 1, it should mean July went pretty well.
It may also mean Nix has "layunched" a few more home runs.
