As Pat Murphy on Wednesday discussed the gains that Jedd Gyorko is making at shortstop (a quick first step, the ball to his right, etc.) the Padres ' interim manager acknowledged the role that the coaching staff, defensive positioning and advanced scouting could play in expanding a perceived lack of range at the positon. His middle infielder's offensive surge of late should provide the Padres all the motivation they need to continue to explore Gyorko's viability at the position.

The 26-year-old Gyorko hit his 14th homer of the season in an 11-4 win over the Rockies, driving in three more runs as he started a season-high fourth consecutive game at shortstop. The third-year pro has trended upward since his return from Triple-A El Paso (.267/.311/.466, 12 HRs, 38 RBIs) and has been especially productive on the current homestand, batting .300/.310/.650 (12-for-40) with four homers, two doubles and 11 RBIs.

However, the power he's displaying as a shortstop, in particular, is noteworthy, especially as compared to the earlier attempts to man the position:

Padres shortstops in 2015 OPS DRS UZR/150 FP (Inn) G PA R HR RBI SB BB SO BA OBP SLG Jedd Gyorko 1.151 -3 21.6 1.000 (103) 14 52 8 6 14 0 4 9 .340 .385 .766 MLB SS average .685 -- -- .973 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- .260 .306 .379 Clint Barmes .712 -3 -11.4 .971 (467) 63 180 20 3 14 0 7 43 .262 .307 .405 Alexi Amarista .584 1 -3.6 .964 (642.1) 79 275 22 3 23 5 19 43 .215 .268 .316 Will Middlebrooks .243 -1 25.6 1.000 (39) 7 17 0 0 1 0 2 3 .067 .176 .067

Indeed, Gyorko's 1.151 OPS in 14 games at shortstop is nearly double what MLB shortstops are averaging, according to fangraphs.com, while a 1.000 fielding percentage indicates that he is making most, if not all, the routine plays. At times, Gyorko has even passed the eye test on difficult plays in the hole. In one observer's opinion (ahem), for what it's worth, he has looked particular smooth going right compared to left; he stopped a ball to his left on a dive Wednesday night but appeared noticeably slower than the likes of Everth Cabrera and even Alexi Amarista while trying to jump to his feet for a throw to first; the hitter was easily safe.

As far as advanced defensive metrics are concerned, Gyorko's 103-inning sample size is far too small to draw any concrete conclusions. The disagreement alone in two chief public fielding stats – his cumulative minus-3 defensive runs saved is considered below average while a 21.6 on a 150-game ultimate zone rating tops leader J.J. Hardy (16.4) – leaves one wondering precisely what Gyorko's ceiling is at shortstop, especially considering that neither metric accounts for defensive shifts or team-influenced positioning.

Knowing a pitcher is attacking the weaknesses of a particular hitter and his specific batted ball tendencies with a specific pitch might influence precisely where a shortstop positions himself on, say, an 0-2 offering. If executed perfectly and the predicted outcome aligns with reality, that fielder might find himself in a better position to make a play than if he'd started the play at the default spot.

In that scenario, Gyorko's perceived lack of range, in theory, isn't as important as having an instinctual, sure-handed fielder at shortstop. To say nothing of what the organization's proprietary data reveals, the question the Padres have deemed worth exploring is this:

Are the plays that Gyorko can't get to – when batted balls go off script (normal, right?) and into holes as speedy runners race down the line – offset enough by his production at the plate as well as who the Padres can slot into second base when Gyorko mans shortstop?

That answer is absolutely YES if Gyorko hits like he has over the last 10 days (he won't; who could?). If Gyorko's offensive profile is far closer to Gyorko's post-demotion OPS (.777) than his dismal start to each of the last two seasons, then the Padres may be on to something.

Time, in the field and in the box, will tell.