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With baseball season in full swing, the Cincinnati Reds have shown that they have the possibility to be one of the premier teams in the National League this season. The pitching staff has been quite remarkable, and the hitting has shown they can put a lot of runs in a short amount of time.
However, there is one person who has gotten off to an uncharacteristicstart for the Reds — Jay Bruce. Throughout his career, Bruce has been known to be an excellent outfielder, but an inconsistent hitter at the plate. The biggest question for Reds’ fans is, should they be concerned by Bruce’s lack of production so far this season?
Yes, I understand we are only five games into the season. Not everyone can come out blistering hot like some of his fellow teammates have started out. However, for someone who has the ability to put up 30 home runs and 100 RBIs every season, starting out batting only .208 with no home runs, one RBI, and striking out 10 times already while only walking one time, is something that Reds’ fans should be something of a concern.
The one thing I have noticed Bruce trying to do this season is something that his teammate, Joey Votto, has made a career out of — hitting the ball to left field. It appears that Bruce is trying to stay back on the ball and drive it the other way and so far it hasn’t turned out well for him.
Bruce has said that he’s not concerned about the slow start he’s had, and there’s no doubt that Bruce will eventually turn around the rough start he has had this season. The question will be when? The Reds are playing well enough without him doing much at the plate, but how much longer can that last until they need him to come through?
Follow Brad Stiene on Twitter @bs_rant1
