BWAL TOP 15 — NO. 9: KJ MYERS

Some players control games by overpowering pitchers.

KJ Myers controls them by refusing to give pitchers an easy way out.

At No. 9 on the BWAL Season 4 Top 15 is KJ Myers — the most patient hitter in the league, one of its most complete offensive players, and the engine at the center of the Cherrypickers' lineup.

Myers finished Season 3 with 15 hits and a league-leading 23 walks. He reached base 38 times in 60 recorded opportunities, producing a .633 on-base percentage while scoring 15 runs and driving in 12.

His Season 3 rankings place him among the league's elite:

• First in walks: 23
• First in doubles: 4
• Tied for second in triples: 2
• Third in runs: 15
• Fourth in RBIs: 12
• Fifth in on-base percentage: .633
• Eighth in batting average: .405
• Ninth in hits: 15

Those are not the numbers of a player who succeeds in only one area. Myers hit for average, produced extra-base hits, reached base at an elite rate, drove runners home and consistently turned his opportunities into runs.

"KJ was one of the first players who stood out to me," Season 3 newcomer Chris Haer said. "He never chases the game. He stays patient, takes his walks and waits for the pitcher to make a mistake. He makes the whole lineup better."

Myers started the season by putting together one of the most impressive two-game stretches in the BWAL.

Against the Titans on opening day, he recorded five hits, two doubles, three walks, three RBIs and four runs. He followed that with three hits, a triple, a home run, three walks, six RBIs and four runs against the Dragons.

Through two games, Myers had already produced eight hits, six walks, nine RBIs and eight runs.

"You could tell immediately that KJ was different," Dragons newcomer Jack Brennan said. "You would fall behind, try to be careful and suddenly he was on base again. Then, if you came into the zone, he could drive it."

That ability to punish strikes while refusing to chase bad pitches became the defining feature of his season.

Even when Myers went hitless, he continued contributing. He drew three walks against the 8 Balls, four against the Titans and another three in a later matchup with the 8 Balls. He reached base in all eight of his Season 3 appearances.

There was no reliable way to remove him from the game.

"He puts so much pressure on a pitcher," 8 Balls newcomer Nate Adams said. "You know he'll take the walk, but you also know he finished near the top of the league in extra-base hits. There isn't really a comfortable way to attack him."

Myers' 23 walks were five more than any other player in the league. He also ranked first in doubles and tied for second in triples, proving that his patience did not come at the expense of aggression when the correct pitch arrived.

He could wait — and then do damage.

That combination made Myers one of the league's most valuable table-setters. He reached base at the fifth-highest rate in the BWAL and finished third in runs, giving the Cherrypickers a dependable source of traffic near the top of their lineup.

"KJ controls an at-bat better than almost anyone," 8 Balls newcomer Matt Dietrich said. "He makes you throw strikes, and even when you do, you're not guaranteed an out. That's what makes him so frustrating to face."

There is a case that No. 9 is too high. Myers hit only one home run and finished ninth in total hits. While he produced 12 RBIs, much of his overall value came from walks and his ability to reach base rather than overwhelming power.

There is also a convincing case that No. 9 is too low.

Myers led the league in two categories, ranked inside the top five in six major offensive areas and reached base in every game he played. Very few BWAL players combined patience, contact, extra-base ability and run production as effectively as he did.

Players can have a big game. Myers built an entire season without becoming an easy out.

That is KJ Myers entering Season 4: the league's most disciplined hitter, an elite on-base presence and one of the biggest reasons the Cherrypickers believe they can finally break through.