Joey Votto vs the Reds front office

[SlimJim11]

Following what Walt said to Cunningham about talking to Votto about fitting into a role better, and now his comment in the Janson article..

"I asked Walt Jocketty if Price is up to the task of disabusing Joey of the notion that a base on balls is as beneficial as a run scoring sacrifice fly.

Walt gave me an emphatic “Yes,” but added, “that is something many more of us in the organization will also try to convey.”

I wonder what the front office has against their best player. Are they not aware his Z-swing% was 67% last year and his Z-swing% was 62.3% in 2012? Do they not realize his BB% was 19.8% in 2012 and 18.6% in 2013?


They better not try to change Joey Votto. If they do, I hope he doesn't listen. Every player has a down year every now and then, not every player can still lead the league in Runs Created in that down year. Let the man have a normal offseason of training, instead of rehab, and see what happens.


I really just don't understand saying some of these things to the media about the teams best player. Maybe if you wanted to have a sit down with Votto and ask him about it, that is one thing, but why do it in the media?

[Larry Schuler]

Maybe those comments are to appease and not alienate a simplistic faction of Reds fans who want to hear their team's GM affirm their feelings and Walt, in private, has told Joey to just do what he does?

[RedlegJake]

It isn't just simplistic Reds fans - it also many Redszone posters who seem to think it is easy to just be a different type of hitter because you decide to be.

Quoted: "Votto is the biggest disappointment, for me, this year. His approach at the plate was like he was leading off rather than batting third. Weird."

Yep - just change your very successful approach Joey. Start swinging at everything and try to hit homers. That'll work. Right.

It is the manager's role to utilize each player where his strengths and talents best enhance the team. All the player can do is maximize his abilities. Joey Votto does that as well as any player in the game. Jocketty's comments have really disappointed me.

[Ron Delancey]

Yeah..This is one of the most ridiculous things I've read. Joey Votto is the best hitter on this team. If he swung at the pitches some people want him to, he would be batting .250 and fans (and apparently front office) would be calling for his head.

[SlimJim11]

I just don't understand why everybody wants Votto swinging more. Votto was amazing in 2012 while swinging at less pitches in the strike zone than he did in 2013.

The reason his numbers were down last year wasn't because he was more passive, it's because his isolated power went from .230 in 2012 to .186. The iso was the lowest of his career. Votto himself said he only got hot during 1 month last year instead of 2 or 3. No big deal.

I don't understand all the panic because of 1 really good season instead of a great season. Especially when you factor in him spending the entire offseason rehabbing.

[Gapper]

I'm still not 100% Votto's knee was completely healthy this year. I don't believe he had the strength he had pre-injury. I think with an offseason to build back the strength in his knee, the power will return in 2014.

[demas863]

Yeah..This is one of the most ridiculous things I've read. Joey Votto is the best hitter on this team. If he swung at the pitches some people want him to, he would be batting .250 and fans (and apparently front office) would be calling for his head.

Yes, he'd be Cozart.

[Scotly]

It isn't just simplistic Reds fans - it also many Redszone posters who seem to think it is easy to just be a different type of hitter because you decide to be.

Quoted: "Votto is the biggest disappointment, for me, this year. His approach at the plate was like he was leading off rather than batting third. Weird."

Yep - just change your very successful approach Joey. Start swinging at everything and try to hit homers. That'll work. Right.

It is the manager's role to utilize each player where his strengths and talents best enhance the team. All the player can do is maximize his abilities. Joey Votto does that as well as any player in the game. Jocketty's comments have really disappointed me.

I disagree. Votto's role is to produce. That is what he is getting paid for, rather well I might add. When we absolutely needed a hit; more often than not, he would walk or strikeout. He is not getting the clutch hits. That is my point.

[RedlegJake]

Joey Votto RISP .932 OPS; WAR 6.4; late & close .820; tie game .935; within 1 .928

Yeah scotly - I see your point :confused:

[SlimJim11]

I disagree. Votto's role is to produce. That is what he is getting paid for, rather well I might add.

Good thing he produced the most runs in the NL.

[Old Reds Fan]

I don't care what the numbers say. He wasn't getting the big hit at the right time. As in a "clutch" hit. Look at 2012. It seemed that every other time up he was hitting a double. This year when they needed the big hit he just couldn't seem to come through. I love Joey and hope this coming season he will hit like he did in 2012 (or better, the way he hit in 2010).

[SlimJim11]

So .353/.478/.643 is what Votto must do every season for people? Those were his number in 2012 before he got hurt. 1.121 OPS is freaking insane. If people are expecting that, they only have themselves to blame for their disappointment.

[Falls City Beer]

Maybe those comments are to appease and not alienate a simplistic faction of Reds fans who want to hear their team's GM affirm their feelings and Walt, in private, has told Joey to just do what he does?

Ockhams razor. Walt means it. Yet Votto will continue to be the hitter he has always been.

[MoneyInTheBank]

Why does it become Votto's problem that the Reds don't have a #4 hitter they can count on to drive in a runner from 3rd if Votto walks?

[Scotly]

I don't care what the numbers say. He wasn't getting the big hit at the right time. As in a "clutch" hit. Look at 2012. It seemed that every other time up he was hitting a double. This year when they needed the big hit he just couldn't seem to come through. I love Joey and hope this coming season he will hit like he did in 2012 (or better, the way he hit in 2010).

Exactly!!! He folded up like lawn chair at the end.

[RedlegJake]

I don't know what to say to you guys except we just agree to disagree....completely... on this one.

[Lewdog]

Ha when I saw this it gave me a laugh as it is one of the first things that I debated about on this forum. On a serious note,

Would you rather have a guy that hits .275 but knocks in 100+ runs per year, OR
a player that hits .315 and knocks in 70 runs per year in the same spot in the lineup?

[DanielPlainview]

If Walt or the FO think there's a problem, that's certainly their prerogative. I don't know what good publicly airing those concerns is going to be. IMO Joseph's approach isn't a problem. The fact that Walt hasn't put hitters around him to compliment that approach (that discipline really) certainly isn't his fault. And the fact that Bob's paying him for hitting like it's 2010 when he hasn't hit like that since is a problem but that really isn't his fault either.

[Scotly]

I don't know what to say to you guys except we just agree to disagree....completely... on this one.

It is just an opinion. It is just we desperately needed his bat when it got close at the end of the season. I am still a little upset over our calapse. Just think we had the talent to still be playing.

[RedsBrick]

It's gonna be a looooong off season....

[SlimJim11]

Ha when I saw this it gave me a laugh as it is one of the first things that I debated about on this forum. On a serious note,

Would you rather have a guy that hits .275 but knocks in 100+ runs per year, OR
a player that hits .315 and knocks in 70 runs per year in the same spot in the lineup?


give me more info. if the .275 hitter has a .300 OBP, and the .315 has a .350 OBP, i'll take the .315 all day.


if the .275 hitter has a .360 OBP and the .315 hitter has a .325 OBP, give me the .275 hitter.


I don't care how many rbi they have.

[Old Reds Fan]

Well one thing we can agree on is that Joey wasn't the only player not coming through when the team needed him. Most, if not all, position players were not even fairly consistent all season long.

[RedsBrick]

give me more info. if the .275 hitter has a .300 OBP, and the .315 has a .350 OBP, i'll take the .315 all day.


if the .275 hitter has a .360 OBP and the .315 hitter has a .325 OBP, give me the .275 hitter.


I don't care how many rbi they have.

I'd need more info before making my choice. For example, what's the OPS of each player....what do they do with RISP...with 2 outs, those types of things.

Being "clutch" is a hard thing to measure....but it's certainly something you hope for. Can a player make it happen when the team needs it is those key situations?

2 out RBIs win championships.

[SlimJim11]

And Votto is unclutch right? Bc he was "bad" at clutch situations last year. But what about the years before when he was fantastic in clutch situations. Did Votto all of the sudden forget how to be clutch? Did he leave his clutch ice skates in Canada?


Did BP all the sudden figure out how to be good in clutch situations this late in his career?


Or is it more likely those stats have very high variance and 1 season's worth of data isn't a big enough sample size.

[RedEye]

I don't care what the numbers say. He wasn't getting the big hit at the right time. As in a "clutch" hit. Look at 2012. It seemed that every other time up he was hitting a double. This year when they needed the big hit he just couldn't seem to come through. I love Joey and hope this coming season he will hit like he did in 2012 (or better, the way he hit in 2010).

This is absolutely and utterly devoid of context.

[RedsBrick]

And Votto is unclutch right? Bc he was "bad" at clutch situations last year. But what about the years before when he was fantastic in clutch situations. Did Votto all of the sudden forget how to be clutch? Did he leave his clutch ice skates in Canada?


Did BP all the sudden figure out how to be good in clutch situations this late in his career?


Or is it more likely those stats have very high variance and 1 season's worth of data isn't a big enough sample size.

My comment had nothing to do with Votto. My comment was based on the 2 player scenerio you presented.

[SlimJim11]

My comment had nothing to do with Votto. My comment was based on the 2 player scenerio you presented.


And whether it's Votto or anybody else, hitting statistics for clutch situations can vary a great deal from season to season, which could suggest clutch has a lot more to do with luck than it does a skill.

[RedsBrick]

And whether it's Votto or anybody else, hitting statistics for clutch situations can vary a great deal from season to season, which could suggest clutch has a lot more to do with luck than it does a skill.

Disagree. STL and Boston were numbers 1 & 3 respectively in BA with runners in scoring position. I don't think it's coincidental they're playing in the WS. The Reds ranked 15th.

With RISP and two outs, the Cards still ranked 1st while the Sox ranked 8th. Cincinnati - 27th. I don't think luck has much to do with that over the course of a season.

[SlimJim11]

and STL hit .330 with RISP this year. After hitting .264 with RISP in 2012 with a lot of the same hitters on the club.

This year they hit .269 for the season as a team average vs .271 as a team average in 2012.


So I'm willing to say they just happened to have more hits fall in with RISP this year compared to other years. That is the luck part.

[Krawhitham]

And Votto is unclutch right? Bc he was "bad" at clutch situations last year. But what about the years before when he was fantastic in clutch situations. Did Votto all of the sudden forget how to be clutch? Did he leave his clutch ice skates in Canada?


Did BP all the sudden figure out how to be good in clutch situations this late in his career?


Or is it more likely those stats have very high variance and 1 season's worth of data isn't a big enough sample size.

BP racked up 19% of his Runs and 23% of his RBI on 21 PA

21 times BP hit with the bases loaded.
11 Hits
1 HR
1 2B
8 Singles
1 Walk
2 Sac
3 FC
24 RBI
15 Runs

Those 21 PA maked the difference between BP having a Bad year and a Good year

Votto only had 9 such At Bats this season, Granted Votto did not do as good this season with the bases loaded as BP did, but in the 9 At Bats Votto drove in 7 runs. It would have been nice to see what he could have done with another 12 At Bats with the bases loaded

If the Reds make Joey change his approach in any way they are crazy

Joey was 10th in AVG
Joey was 1st in OBP
Joey was 4th in OPS
Joey was 6th in WAR
Joey was 1st in Runs Created
Joey was 2nd in SECA

Yes his RBI totals were s**t this season, but giving all this other stats the RBI issue is a fluke

[Old Reds Fan]

This is absolutely and utterly devoid of context.Oh really? All those times that Choo reached base how many times did Joey drive him in. You can't drive in runs with a walk. The way he used to hit doubles easily drove in runners from first base. THAT is the context.

[Lewdog]

Hits and Gold Glove fielding is what got Votto his huge contract, not the walks. If getting walks was such a big deal, Adam Dunn would be wanted by every team in the league.

[MoneyInTheBank]

Hits and Gold Glove fielding is what got Votto his huge contract, not the walks. If getting walks was such a big deal, Adam Dunn would be wanted by every team in the league.

Seriously?

[SlimJim11]

Oh really? All those times that Choo reached base how many times did Joey drive him in. You can't drive in runs with a walk. The way he used to hit doubles easily drove in runners from first base. THAT is the context.

Did you know the Reds were the only team in the NL to have 2 guys with 100 or more rbi? Do you think that is possible without Joey Votto? Did you know BP had the lowest OPS of all the hitters with 100 rbi. Do you think that is possible without Votto?


I really wish people could get away from the idea that RBI is the only stat that shows production. RBI is just a terrible stat to draw conclusions from.

[Old school 1983]

My basic opinion is walks are good but hits are better. Judging by vottos average, more if his OBP was made up of walks in 2013 than previous years. His slugging was also down as well as his RBI total. Was this because of some kind of approach change or something else? I think a lot of teams flat out said we aren't going to let votto best us because the rest of the lineup behind him really wasn't that great outside of Bruce, who struggles with consistency himself. This caused votto to see less hittable pitches and to take a walk. A lot of time throughout the year it looked like Joey was barely misting pitches he usually crushes. He also seems to not want to hit a pitch that's not right where he wants it, causing him to take marginal pitches or even strikes that are hittable in the name of working the count. My conclusion on votto is that a slight adjustment of being a little more agressive early in the count could help, but the biggest improvement in vottos numbers could be had by putting better players around him so it is more detrimental to walk him and he'll see more pitches to hit.

[Old Reds Fan]

My basic opinion is walks are good but hits are better. Judging by vottos average, more if his OBP was made up of walks in 2013 than previous years. His slugging was also down as well as his RBI total. Was this because of some kind of approach change or something else? I think a lot of teams flat out said we aren't going to let votto best us because the rest of the lineup behind him really wasn't that great outside of Bruce, who struggles with consistency himself. This caused votto to see less hittable pitches and to take a walk. A lot of time throughout the year it looked like Joey was barely misting pitches he usually crushes. He also seems to not want to hit a pitch that's not right where he wants it, causing him to take marginal pitches or even strikes that are hittable in the name of working the count. My conclusion on votto is that a slight adjustment of being a little more agressive early in the count could help, but the biggest improvement in vottos numbers could be had by putting better players around him so it is more detrimental to walk him and he'll see more pitches to hit.Very well put. BTW, watching a team that walks a lot instead of getting hits is like watching a college basketball team that holds the ball. BORING!

[kpresidente]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7382/10511652143_7f0db27edf_o.jpg

Obviously, getting walks is a big deal.

That's a good point but I bet those teams are near the top in a lot of stats, not just walks.

[RedlegJake]

Here I agree with Old School completely. The biggest problem with JV and walking is the hitters around him - specifically those following him. No one fears BP or Bruce. Bruce is a good hitter but he is not a feared hitter - he strikes out a lot and can be made foolish with the right pitch. I like Jay so don't take that as an indictment of him - it's just that pitchers don't fear having to face him given a choice Bruce or Votto. I think 99% of pitchers would elect to face Bruce. Same, even more amplified with BP. I have no problem at all with Joey's season for a couple reasons. 1 - every single great hitter had seasons where they were "down" a bit in some numbers like power or average. 2 - pitchers simply had no incentive to pitch to Votto 3 - power may have been some weakness lingering in his knee or even a perception on his part that there was some weakness there. I fully expect a resurgence in his power.

Note also in all the hand wringing over offense that virtually every Reds hitter had a year below career norms. That should right itself which should help.

Guys I expect to somewhat improve their numbers:
Ludwick, obviously.
Cozart - my guess is he will be incrementally better, not huge but better
Mesoraco - he can't be worse can he? Hopefully he gets regular PT to find out
Votto - again he is so good already but power should rebound
Hanigan - I really expect a more normal .340 ish OBP sans power
Bruce - he was a bit down so I expect a bit higher OPS and few more homers

About the same or worse
Frazier - I just see a hot mess when he bats - don't expect him to do better or worse
Robinson - all he has going is patience and speed but he isn't much of a hitter
Hi-C - another hot mess, just so impatient - the poster boy for over aggressive. Until he learns lunging is not particularly a hitting skill...
Choo - he'll be good but it's not smart to claim a guy will better a career year. Look at his numbers though and he really wasn't that much above norms except in walks and hbp so no reason he couldn't duplicate his success. I just don't think he'll better it.

Didn't include BP because I really think he's gone. Probably 1 or 2 of the above will be too. My main point is that overall I expect the offense to be better just by the normal fluctuation of production. 2013 was pretty much down across the board for the team. 2014 should see some rebound just by statistical chance. Now, if you could replace a couple of the chancier guys with real upgrades (Rayburn over Hi-C for instance, Navarro over Hanigan as backup C, Bautista over Ludwick - just for instances) the offense could really take off. The trick is doing it without wrecking the pitching staff.

[Lewdog]

Exactly what Oldschool and Redleg Jake said. Votto needs to realize that him getting hits is going to be a lot more effective for this team than a walk. It's fine to wait for a good pitch, but he has to take the mentality that the guys behind him just aren't as good of a hitter as he is, and the chance they are going to knock in a run isn't as good as if he will. Some pitchers are happy when he takes a walk.

[PMand JM]

Ludwick going down opening day really was what changed this season all around. It forced Brandon into the 4 spot, which altered his approach, as well as Votto's. Then Heisey went down, and somehow, this team still won 90 games.

[Lewdog]

Ludwick going down opening day really was what changed this season all around. It forced Brandon into the 4 spot, which altered his approach, as well as Votto's. Then Heisey went down, and somehow, this team still won 90 games.

Pitching. The Reds were in the top 5 in starting pitching ERA in the MLB. That wins you lots of games. I believe they were very close to the top in quality starts as well.

[RedlegJake]

Pitching. The Reds were in the top 5 in starting pitching ERA in the MLB. That wins you lots of games. I believe they were very close to the top in quality starts as well.

And that is what Walt needs to be very careful not to wreck with trades. Good pitching wins you a lot more games than good offense. Still, if Bailey isn't going to stay anyway he might as well maximize what he can get. If they go with Arroyo in some kind of deal that rolls up his deferred money then you could conceivably deal Leake. If you let Arroyo go you just about have to keep Leake. Stephenson and Lively have to be nurtured and kept. Rogers is not that same level but good enough you only deal him in a big trade. Chapman might be a trade chip but again, only for a big return. Just don't tear down this pitching staff trying to "fix" the offense!

[MoneyInTheBank]

Exactly what Oldschool and Redleg Jake said. Votto needs to realize that him getting hits is going to be a lot more effective for this team than a walk. It's fine to wait for a good pitch, but he has to take the mentality that the guys behind him just aren't as good of a hitter as he is, and the chance they are going to knock in a run isn't as good as if he will. Some pitchers are happy when he takes a walk.

But why is that Votto's problem? That sounds like a personnel issue

[dougdirt]

Exactly what Oldschool and Redleg Jake said. Votto needs to realize that him getting hits is going to be a lot more effective for this team than a walk. It's fine to wait for a good pitch, but he has to take the mentality that the guys behind him just aren't as good of a hitter as he is, and the chance they are going to knock in a run isn't as good as if he will. Some pitchers are happy when he takes a walk.

Here is the problem,Joey Votto swinging at bad pitches (re: non-strikes), ISN'T better than the other guys in the lineup. Joey Votto is the hitter that he is because he doesn't swing at bad pitches, not because he can hit strikes better than other guys can. He just swings at fewer bad pitches.

[RedEye]

Oh really? All those times that Choo reached base how many times did Joey drive him in. You can't drive in runs with a walk. The way he used to hit doubles easily drove in runners from first base. THAT is the context.

Well, no. That's not the whole story. Why focus so much on RBI when there is so much more information to look at?

[Ron Delancey]

Is there a link to the article where these quotes from Jocketty are? I need it for my blog.

[RedsManRick]

That's a good point but I bet those teams are near the top in a lot of stats, not just walks.

That's not a coincidence.

[Halfway between]

Should there be some concern about Votto being 31 and hitting his lowest OPS since 2008?

[MoneyInTheBank]

Should there be some concern about Votto being 31 and hitting his lowest OPS since 2008?

I'm not overly concerned. He keeps himself in great shape and is always working on his game. He may have been limited by his knee still last season. In my eyes, he's earned the "wait and see" approach

[JaxRed]

Should there be some concern about Votto being 31 and hitting his lowest OPS since 2008?

Actually Joey just turned 30 in September, but yes, there should be concern. This appears to be an age related decline to me.

But if it occurs, some fans will now be able to say it's the Red's fault because they tried to change him.

[goreds2]

Ludwick going down opening day really was what changed this season all around. It forced Brandon into the 4 spot, which altered his approach, as well as Votto's. Then Heisey went down, and somehow, this team still won 90 games. Totally agree. When opening day hit, I thought to myself that this is the perfect lineup now with Luddy coming back from a great second half of 2012. As Walt J. said opening day, we have a great team but can't afford injuries due to lack of bench strength. When Luddy went down, my heart sank as I knew it would be tough to win it all without him.

(Sorry I went off topic)

[Mike Honcho]

Totally agree. When opening day hit, I thought to myself that this is the perfect lineup now with Luddy coming back from a great second half of 2012. As Walt J. said opening day, we have a great team but can't afford injuries due to lack of bench strength. When Luddy went down, my heart sank as I knew it would be tough to win it all without him.

(Sorry I went off topic)

I would say the mistake was giving Ludwick the extension in the first place.

[SweetLou1990]

Yes, he'd be Cozart.

Agree with all of this, and His style would fit a 2 hole hitter better. So bat him 2 and construct the lineup like that. I would dare B Price to try it for 30 games to see what happened, it would fit his non-normal baseball thinking blah blah rah rah stuff from the press conference

[villain612]

In my opinion, the biggest issue concerning Joey Votto in the lineup is not having anyone batting behind him to protect him. Hard to criticize a guy for not swinging at bad pitches. Reds either need to acquire a cleanup hitter for protection (Brandon Phillips scares nobody) or start batting Jay Bruce 4th. Votto will then start seeing better pitches, and start swinging the bat more.

Joey Votto is easily one of the best overall hitters in all of baseball. I don't like the idea of tinkering with that.

[No pants Mcgee]

Should there be some concern about Votto being 31 and hitting his lowest OPS since 2008?

Considering his OPS was still over 900 I would say no. 4 years from now we might need to worry about Joey. But for now he should be the least of your worries.

[swaisuc]

Yeah..This is one of the most ridiculous things I've read. Joey Votto is the best hitter on this team. If he swung at the pitches some people want him to, he would be batting .250 and fans (and apparently front office) would be calling for his head.

Or maybe he would replicate 2010 where he swung at more pitches, was more aggressive, and won MVP. Your guess is as good as mine.

[PuffyPig]

I don't care what the numbers say.

Maybe you should?

It might just change your view.

[Jamz]

Joey's knee was still bothering him last year. He's primed for a big one this year. I think we'll see a return to 30ish homeruns, more XBHs and a more appeased fanbase (even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with his production last year and he was still elite).

[LewGra]

How much would we be paying attention to this is if Ludwick wasn't hurt and overachieved like 2012?

[Drugs Delaney]

I think part of what makes Votto so good is that he approaches every at bat the same way. There is almost a robotic consistency and in general I think that is a good thing.

However, there were some situations last year where Votto seemed to be just going about his general approach which would maximize his own OPS and not necessarily maximize the Reds' chances of winning the game.

98% of the time, maximizing your own success/stats in baseball coincides with maximizing the team's success. However, I do think there were occasions where Joey didn't play good situational baseball and maximize the Reds' chance of winning the game by his approach.

Is it Joey's fault that the guys hitting behind him were struggling mightily? Absolutely not.

Is it Joey's fault that he didn't adjust his approach in some specific situations to take into account that the guys behind him weren't hitting and thus a walk was much less valuable than a hit? Yes, if his top priority is winning games and not his own OPS.

Just my opinion...

[Halfway between]

Joey is coming into what I think is a telling season. He was healthy all winter, he's not getting younger but still in the peak years age.

I don't care what you say, Joey has a 10 year contract which hangs around his neck like an albatross if he doesn't produce. He needs to keep his OPS up. Last year's decline is easily explainable by the winter rehab. The Reds are totally dependent on his being Joey Votto.

I have no problem with the walks. It was a big part of Pujols' and Bonds' production. But, the power has to be there too.

[Kai Slater]

I believe that Joey will have another great season with better power and run producing numbers. A few nights ago on WLW, he mentioned that his knee was feeling much better and that he is firing on all cylinders with his overall health. Plus, Joey being Joey, he will be very conscientious in his preparation and practice.

If our lineup is healthy, we'll win 90 games again this year.

[Halfway between]

I believe that Joey will have another great season with better power and run producing numbers. A few nights ago on WLW, he mentioned that his knee was feeling much better and that he is firing on all cylinders with his overall health. Plus, Joey being Joey, he will be very conscientious in his preparation and practice.

If our lineup is healthy, we'll win 90 games again this year.

What the Reds need is more of the same from their rotation. It was remarkably healthy all year...save Cueto and his 11 starts.

The bullpen was another issue.

[villain612]

Joey Votto is one of the best pure hitters on the planet and a future hall of famer IMO.

Sure, I'd like to see his power come back a little, but that has nothing to do with approach.

The Reds need to leave him alone and harness his strengths as is.

I've said it many times on this board, but they need to bat Jay Bruce after him. I think he'd see better pitches to hit then.