Jay Bruce looks like he has become a professional hitter overnight!!!!!!!

He's not consistently getting on base. His OBP is below .300. There's really no way you can make Bruce OPSing below .650 look good.

When was the last time we saw a team run the shift on him? Bruce using the entire field will help him immensely moving forward. The power will come, just like it will for Joey. Jay said in some ST interviews that he was making a conscious effort to go the other way this season. It's working.

I really hate the term "professional hitter".

Our fanbase is amazing. Just a week and a half ago there was a Jay Bruce needs help thread, no there is a Jay Bruce has become a professional hitter thread. I think I will start a Jay Bruce is somewhere in the middle thread...LOL.
:beerme:

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Originally Posted by _Sir_Charles_

When was the last time we saw a team run the shift on him? Bruce using the entire field will help him immensely moving forward. The power will come, just like it will for Joey. Jay said in some ST interviews that he was making a conscious effort to go the other way this season. It's working.

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Who cares about the shift? Lots of good hitters face the shift. I don't want him hitting based on what the defense is doing. I want him swinging at pitches he can drive, and if that's a ball up and out over the plate that he can drive to LF great, even better. It makes me sad for someone like Jay to go the other way, just for the sake of going the other way.

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Originally Posted by dubc47834

Our fanbase is amazing. Just a week and a half ago there was a Jay Bruce needs help thread, no there is a Jay Bruce has become a professional hitter thread. I think I will start a Jay Bruce is somewhere in the middle thread...LOL.
:beerme:

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you beat me to it ;)

I try to stay calm the first month of the season... after 10 games stats doesn´t mean that much because of the small sample size. did bruce look bad during some at bats? of course, but he did that the last 2 years too and put up big numbers...

Somebody get one of those hit spray chart thingys.

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Originally Posted by smixsell

You just don't get it. He's not going to change his approach, and he's going to have better numbers in every area---including slugging, HRs and RBIs.

His slugging numbers aren't low because he changed his approach, they're low because he started so slow (before changing his approach and heating up).

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I disagree with you.

He's not going to have better numbers in homers if he doesn't start hitting them soon. In fact, 40 is probably already out the window and soon he might not be able to reach 30 for the year if he doesn't hit one soon.

I agree with Reds44... he is not as valuable hitting as he is in his current state.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dubc47834

Our fanbase is amazing. Just a week and a half ago there was a Jay Bruce needs help thread, no there is a Jay Bruce has become a professional hitter thread. I think I will start a Jay Bruce is somewhere in the middle thread...LOL.
:beerme:

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Come on! Take a stand! :laugh:

I'm hoping he's just covering more of the plate. In times past, the outside of the plate was tough to matchup with for him. If he can spoil outside pitches, he's instantly a better hitter.

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Originally Posted by Raisor

I really hate the term "professional hitter".

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Me, too. Pretty much all the guys playing for the Reds are doing so professionally. Other than maybe some of the pitchers, they could all qualify for this term.

I don't view this as an overall, long-term change. I think Bruce is simply trying to get out of a batting slump and a high strikeout period.

Over the past 7 days, Bruce has a .490 OPS. For the season Bruce has a .674 OPS with 18 strikeouts in 58 official at bats.

IMO, what we've seen in recent days, is a device to get Bruce going. Make contact, hit the other way. Once he's hitting more consistently, I doubt Bruce will become a slap hitter full time.

It's a good skill for Jay, hitting to left, making contact, being more selective. But I wouldn't conclude he's becoming Juan Pierre.

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Originally Posted by reds44

He's not consistently getting on base. His OBP is below .300. There's really no way you can make Bruce OPSing below .650 look good.

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He is getting on base so far this year on soft stuff on the outside part of the plate. And while having an OBP under .300 is never good, the fact that the hits he has had are to the opposite field, is a good sign. That is far more important than what his OBP is after two weeks.

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Originally Posted by Raisor

I really hate the term "professional hitter".

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IIRC, in his season with the Reds, Jeff Conine was constantly referred to as a "professional hitter." Ruined the term for me too.

I think I use "professional hitter" from time to time. Had no idea it was so frowned upon. I learned something today.
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