Rick Wilkins
Sometimes when I mess around with the Showdown Bot, I'll come across something peculiar and end up down a rabbit hole. Take Rick Wilkins for example, a man who started off anonymously enough and ultimately ended up on a merry-go-round of teams to end his career.
1991, starting off behind the plate in Chicago. Nothing special, maybe a lack of power but as far as catchers go the defense holds up...
1992. Ok, the power seems to be even more lacking, but he maintains that defense and even improves on his on-base. Even cuts down on the strikeouts and even reaches base a bit more.
1993. Holy crap. From ho-hum to amazing. 30 home runs in real life and his card is pretty nice as a result. Defense blasts off from +7 to +11 and the on-base is fantastic for any position, let alone the defensive minded catchers spot. Can he maintain this?
In a word...no. True, 1994 was shortened, but most people figured that insane '93 season was a blip on the radar for Wilkins. Everything regressed to the mean for Rick...
1995 began the world tour for Rick Wilkins. He starts the year in Chicago, but finds himself traded before long...
Houston would benefit from his +8 arm, and while his on-base of 7 is pretty pedestrian, the 3+ reaching base of a chart is nice, if walks are a thing you don't mind settling for.
Houston got mostly the same effort from Wilkins in 1996, and decided to trade him as well.
...This time to San Francisco. Slightly better all around. An earlier version of his '96 season featured some 1B eligibility...but that's rarely needed when so many better full time 1B options exist.
1997 would bring yet another set of changes for Rick. This time the Giants would tire of his high risk 5 on-base with the high reward +9 at Catcher, and release him.
He got signed by the Mariners, and while he didn't see much playing time, he got one fo the best charts ever from it. Almost half his chart being homers should give some owners to incentive to carry him on their bench.
Wilkins began 1998 with less power, but still a cool looking chart with lots of triple and homer potential instead of all homers. The Mariners didn't care, as they sent Wilkins away on yet another trade.
Wilkins was far from the only Catcher the Mets would trade for in 1998. He didn't play much with the other guy around, and he sports a terrible card as a result.
1999 saw barely any action for Wilkins and included zero hits. So I don't know what that charts all about.
Wilkins saw so little action in 2000 that I couldn't even find a picture of him with the Cardinals. He got hits that year though, so this card is more valid than the Dodgers one that actually features his face. One day I may find a St. Louis pic of Wilkins, until then please enjoy the Bot's placeholder image.
Rick would ultimately get released by the Padres and never play again in the majors. His 2001 season features a return to slightly more respectable on-base and charts, as well as a return to playing the field. I'm sure the Padres, as well as the Dodgers, Cardinals, Mets, Giants, Astros and Mariners were hoping that a little bit of the '93 Wilkins would resurface, but like the Cubs before them, each would eventually realize reality and give up on poor Rick.
