Creatures From the Deep are Upon Us
May 7, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) hits an RBI double in the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
1. The Braves Can’t Hit
Yes, we’ve documented this… quite a bit. But here’s why I’m especially concerned:
- Team batting in the past 30 days: .238. OBP: .301
- Team batting in the past 14 days: .218. OBP: .270
- Team batting in the past 7 days: .214. OBP: .275
The trends are not improving. Additionally, while the hitting is bad, the run scoring is bad, the hitting with Runners in Scoring Position (RISP .201) is bad, the Braves are the worst in baseball in the raw number of plate appearance with RISP and they are 28th in hitting w/RISP. No wonder they are 29th in runs scored! This is a clear recipe for disaster.
The on-base percentage must increase significantly. And of the ‘regular’ starters, that points to these guys (stats from last 30 days):
- Chris Johnson (.263)
- Dan Uggla (.231)
All others are at least .296. Jordan Schafer (.235) and Ryan Doumit (.192) also need to step it up, though have had few chances.
Tommy La Stella‘s current OBP at Gwinnett? .372. Just sayin’.