Quote Originally Posted by Really Clark? View Post
Obviously he is beyond just in a slump so what I?m about to state is not all of his problem. His averages the last two years, especially last season, have also benefitted from a high BABIP. With enough balls in play over time you get a better picture of a players actual hit ability. Some of the issues that are glaring now were always there. Lot of ground balls and roll over ground balls, very very low walk rate, low OBP, made contact on questionable pitches, etc. Honestly all things being equal he is more of a .250-.275 hitter and .300 on a good year. This year has some regression to his mean as it relates to his hit ability. Not to this disappointing degree obviously, which is where the rest of the problems of from an extended very bad slump come into play for a hitter.
Whatever the metrics say, he has been a .280-.320 hitter for his entire career coming into this year. Maybe he has been lucky until this slump but that is being lucky for a long time. Saying all that, he has to sit for us to go very far in the post season. I am not sure he can get his head right in enough time to help us much this year.