After a stretch that saw Tyler Naquin quite productive at the plate, the Cleveland Indians outfielder is struggling dating back to April 10th.
After 10 games into the 2019 season Tyler Naquin was hitting .300. It looked like that the Indians outfielder had reverted back to his rookie form and could be an integral part of the team. Things have not gone well since April 10th and Tyler Naquin has struggled.
Since the last time Naquin was hitting .300 he has struck out 10 times in 29 at-bats. Naquin’s batting average has steadily dropped since April 10th, it is now sitting at .220 for the season. This is hardly the production that Cleveland needs from Naquin at this point in time. Even though key starters have returned to the lineup, overall the offense is still not performing up to the level it is capable of and needs everyone to contribute in order to win. This includes Naquin.
Tyler Naquin only has four hits in 30 plate appearances over the last eight games. Naquin does have one walk over this stretch, but it was intentional so it counts and it does not count at the same time. Naquin did not earn the walk as much as it was given to him.
The only bright spot to takeaway from this is that Tyler Naquin has a home run and four runs driven in. Aside from that there is nothing to write home about in regards to this recent stretch. A stretch that has Naquin slashing .138/.167/.241/.408. Naquin’s slash line is unacceptable and needs to improve if he is going to continue seeing the field. When a player struggles this much at the plate it is hard to justify keeping their bat in the lineup.
Indians manager Terry Francona gives players every chance to prove that they belong before moving on. With how poorly Tyler Naquin has performed one must wonder how much longer the leash for Naquin is considering the other outfield options on the roster.
