Does the teams overall approach at the plate seem off?

[Smjjaz]

I get when guys are struggling, and we have a boatload of injuries. But over half of our lineup is flirting with the Mendoza line, and it is almost May. We seem to take a LOT of fastballs.

Is it an overall plate approach issue? Is Joel McKeithan the right guy?

Not trying to push the panic button, but the first game against the Rangers was, maybe, the worst team night at the plate I can remember in a while.

Would appreciate the boards thoughts

[OldFashionedRed]

They don't defend the plate with two strikes, and that is indefensible.

[LeatherPants]

They don't defend the plate with two strikes, and that is indefensible.

Can you give examples of current teams that do defend the plate with two strikes?


The best team batting average in baseball with two strikes is .200 (San Diego), and the league average is .166. The game has changed.

[RedTeamGo!]

I think it seems like the offense stinks because they are missing like 6 regulars

[Kc61]

Reds are in a bit of a hitting slump. It happens to most teams. Usually it’s hard to break out - teams start pressing and that leads to more slumping.

Reds do have some hitters who strike out 30%, but that’s part of today’s game, most of those guys produce. Reds also have an issue with big ballparks on the road, the adjustment from GABP can be difficult. But that’s just part of the deal with them, when going well they are capable of overcoming it.

I wouldn’t mind it if they swapped out Martini for Ford, who might provide more long ball capability. The loss of Fraley to illness has hurt, but he seems about ready to return. Friedl is just a few weeks away apparently. Injury and illness certainly have played a role in offensive performance.

It’ll turn around, always frustrating when team hitting slump happens.

[mth123]

They go against Lorenzen today. Fraley will be back. I'm guessing they'll break out a bit today. Slumps happen. They've scored 128 runs in 26 games. That projects to 797 and change runs over 162 games and it with a large portion of the line-up missing most days and mostly in cooler weather that suppresses run production. I don't think scoring enough runs will be the problem. They just need to keep the run prevention in place with good pitching that they don't wear out with poor defense.

Other than finding another reliable bat who can play RF and produce against LHP, I'm Not worried about the offense.

[Cyclone792]

Some regulars just aren't hitting yet (CES, India, Benson, Candy). Also, the Reds have already handed 144 PAs to Fairchild, Espinal and Thompson. With 3 regulars out and an apparent stomach virus going through the clubhouse, we've had many games where at least two of bench guys are in the lineup together.

There's also a question of which Nick Martini the Reds are going to get. Do we get the 2018 and 2023 version? Or the 2019 and 2021 version? He's a 34-year-old journeyman; it's quite possible he flames out and that little power burst we've seen in limited action doesn't come to fruition over long-term PAs. Most journeyman don't miraculously turn into Fernando Cruz.

As it stands, due to a bunch of factors, each of Espinal, Fairchild and Martini have more PAs than Fraley. Hopefully Fraley returns today, and we need Friedl back hopefully in a few weeks. All of this should help push Fairchild, Martini and Espinal back to the bench where they belong.

Here's another way to look at it: imagine a world where McLain and Friedl were both healthy and Marte didn't take horse steroids. Three guys from the active roster wouldn't be on the roster; which 3 guys are they? And how many PAs do those 3 guys already have?

[westofyou]

They don't defend the plate with two strikes, and that is indefensible.

What does that mean?

I have never heard of defending the plate

Are we talking about their two strike approach to hitting?

[LiferJim]

What does that mean?

I have never heard of defending the plate

Are we talking about their two strike approach to hitting?

I’m sure she’s talking about protecting the plate and used the word defend in place of protect.

I get what she’s saying as I have seen a lot of called third strikes on our hitters, at times.

Sometimes I also think a lot of hitters are coached to take more pitches, which drives up the others pitchers pitch count. While I agree with this for some hitters, other hitters are better at hitting the first good pitch they see. Just like they say, sometimes the first pitch you see, will be the best pitch you see.

Obviously missing 3 of our best hitters and Fraley being out, has been a huge part of this slump.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[westofyou]

Here's another way to look at it: imagine a world where McLain and Friedl were both healthy and Marte didn't take horse steroids. Three guys from the active roster wouldn't be on the roster; which 3 guys are they? And how many PAs do those 3 guys already have?

It's hard to make stone soup when so many of the cooks actually only have stones

[westofyou]

I’m sure she’s talking about protecting the plate and used the word defend in place of protect.

I get what she’s saying as I have seen a lot of called third strikes on our hitters, at times.

Sometimes I also think a lot of hitters are coached to take more pitches, which drives up the others pitchers pitch count. While I agree with this for some hitters, other hitters are better at hitting the first good pitch they see. Just like they say, sometimes the first pitch you see, will be the best pitch you see.

Obviously missing 3 of our best hitters and Fraley being out, has been a huge part of this slump.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

First pitch tends to be a fastball, so yes it's always a chance that will be your best pitch seen. Todays game has pitchers have more than a FB, the majority have nasty stuff that ends up out of the zone and is devastating when the hitter is behind in the count. Two-strike pitches are the hardest pitch for a player in the count, it is not something that many players conquer.

Luis Arraez just won two batting titles, he is probably the best contact hitter in the game today and he's hitting .229/.302/.333 with two strikes.

Here are some others

Elly - .156/.269/.422
Mookie - .333/.463/.426 - Mookie is the MLB BA leader
Ozuna - .192/.321/.277 - Ozuna is seventh in MLB in BA

Last year the Reds radio booth fawned over Spencer Steers two-strike approach, ad nauseum in fact, which was this .242/.318/.383

All counts in the battle lean toward either the pitcher or the batter, the two-strike count isn't always a count that benefits the pitcher, but until they have three balls it certainly does.

The style of the game today really doesn't look for soft contact just to avoid the K in that situation, it rewards the player who can drive the ball or have a discerning eye that can work the pitch count higher.

Tony Gwynn is the poster child for two-strike hitting, many years he had an OPS in the 900's with two strikes, but it's not a given even for those types of hitters, in 1996 he led the game in BA with a .353 BA and still only had this line with two strikes .304/.352/.365

[Redsfan6272]

Look at the Brewers. When they played us most of thier lineup was hitting .300. They jumped all over pitches in the strike zone and did not chase pitches.. I want the Reds hitters to do this.

[westofyou]

Look at the Brewers. When they played us most of thier lineup was hitting .300. They jumped all over pitches in the strike zone and did not chase pitches.. I want the Reds hitters to do this.

Sure that would be great, as a team they are hitting .180/.263/.269 with two strikes which is better than the Reds who have a woeful .119/.219/.207, with a .243 BABIP so that's probably the bottom of the barrel

[LiferJim]

First pitch tends to be a fastball, so yes it's always a chance that will be your best pitch seen. Todays game has pitchers have more than a FB, the majority have nasty stuff that ends up out of the zone and is devastating when the hitter is behind in the count. Two-strike pitches are the hardest pitch for a player in the count, it is not something that many players conquer.

Luis Arraez just won two batting titles, he is probably the best contact hitter in the game today and he's hitting .229/.302/.333 with two strikes.

Here are some others

Elly - .156/.269/.422
Mookie - .333/.463/.426 - Mookie is the MLB BA leader
Ozuna - .192/.321/.277 - Ozuna is seventh in MLB in BA

Last year the Reds radio booth fawned over Spencer Steers two-strike approach, ad nauseum in fact, which was this .242/.318/.383

All counts in the battle lean toward either the pitcher or the batter, the two-strike count isn't always a count that benefits the pitcher, but until they have three balls it certainly does.

The style of the game today really doesn't look for soft contact just to avoid the K in that situation, it rewards the player who can drive the ball or have a discerning eye that can work the pitch count higher.

Tony Gwynn is the poster child for two-strike hitting, many years he had an OPS in the 900's with two strikes, but it's not a given even for those types of hitters, in 1996 he led the game in BA with a .353 BA and still only had this line with two strikes .304/.352/.365

Good post. So the moral to the story could be, stop taking strikes early in the count, so you avoid getting two strikes on you. So maybe worry less about the pitchers pitch count and worry more about hitting good pitches early in the count. I realize it’s a fine line.

Also, I have seen several times this year a runner on third base with less than two outs, a hitter taking strike three. In that spot you do what you have to just to make even soft contact.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Marc D]

I agree that it's mostly injuries and 2/3 of the team that's healthy being in a slump. The real positive part of that to me is that we are still doing well.

The one that does concern me is CES. He's giving me vibes of (insert any of the litany of former Reds that had this affliction) because you can get him to two strikes pretty fast and then he will literally swing at anything the pitcher buries in the dirt. I love the guy and think he's making great strides at 1B but he has to have better plate discipline or he's not going to last. MLB pitchers will never throw you a strike if you show them they don't have to.