I just returned from spending the weekend in Nowhereville, West Virginia without cable, internet and access to anything baseball related. Because of that I was unable to watch Micah Owings battle the Pirates last night. However, after reading my colleague’s comprehensive and highly analytical recap below (heavy sarcasm) maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. But I wanted to touch on a comment he wrote about Micah filling the fifth starter spot in the rotation. And I quote, “Everyone struggles to have a solid fifth starter, and if Owings can go 10-12 this year with an ERA in the 4.50 range, we should be doing cartwheels.”

While I agree that with the Reds current rotation, having Owings complete the season with 10 wins and an ERA under 4.50 would be very useful, I have to wonder if that is the best use of this multi-talented athlete.

Coming off a strong, seven inning, six hit outing against Atlanta where he gave up just one earned run, Micah looked very average against the Pirates. What isn’t average about this Georgia native is his ability to hit the cover off the ball. In 14 at bats this year, Owings has four hits, three of which are doubles, and two RBI’s. While that won’t qualify him for any batting titles, his career batting stats might just be enough to justify him contending for a spot in the field–and not on the mound. In three seasons, Owings has compiled 130 at bats and posted a .315 batting average, 13 doubles and five homeruns. Just imagine how those numbers might look if he were to get four or five at bats per night. This is what I like to call the Rick Ankiel Philosophy.

For those who may not know, Ankiel started his career as a very promising young pitcher for the Cardinals. After a few elbow surgeries Rick was never able to return to his dominating form, forcing him to find an alternate path to get back to the big leagues after a three year absence. That is exactly what he did. After years of rehab, hard work and sacrifice Ankiel landed a starting spot for the Cards. His stat line in 2008 saw him finish with a .264 BA, 25 homers and 71 RBI’s.

I think Owings could have a productive year on the mound, but I don’t think he will ever be anything more than an average pitcher– a fourth or fifth man in the rotation. For right now that isn’t such a bad thing. The Reds starting four look solid and Micah’s numbers are a decent compliment in the five spot. However, with Homer Bailey, Matt Maloney and Daryl Thompson fighting to get called up from AAA, Owings will need to pitch better than he did last night to keep his spot in the rotation. While I’m not sold on Bailey (or Thompson for that matter) and won’t be until he can prove he knows how to pitch consistently at a Major League level, Maloney is 2-0 in four starts with a 2.59 ERA. Even more notable are his 20 strikeouts in 24.1 innings and only one walk for a stunning 1.11 WHIP (walk/hits per innings pitched). Assuming the Reds continue to develop young starting pitching talent in their farm system, I think it makes sense for Owings to start focusing on his offensive abilities, especially since it is no secret this team could use some more consistent firepower at the plate. If Maloney continues to impress in Louisville, Micah might just want to put a phone call in to Mr. Ankiel to get some advice on how he made the transition from pitcher to outfielder. At this point in the season, although still early, I think Owings’ talent at the plate is much more valuable to the Reds than his average arm on the mound.