The Boston Red Sox‘s offense has not been great so far, and Alex Cora has a simple fix that could yield better results quickly.
So far this season, the Red Sox rank last in runs scored. Coming into the season, the offense had high expectations thanks to an array of young stars. However, that has not been the case. Most of the expected stars of the lineup have struggled so far. Following Saturday’s loss, Cora noted he thinks the Red Sox need to swing less.
“I think we’ve got to swing less, to be honest with you. Get them in the zone, not chase,” said Cora, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “They have good arms – but so does everybody in the big leagues. But I think from our end, we have to slow it down. Watching the game, I think the first five hitters for us were up in the count, 2-0. So, just make sure when you’re ahead, you get your pitch to hit, and if it’s not there, take a walk.”
The Red Sox chase percentage is currently 33.3%, and their chase contact percentage is 47.2%. Their swing percentage is also 47.2%. They are 3.3% above league average in chase rate. Their chase contact percentage is below league average, and their swing percentage is higher than league average.
The team has a 28.1% strikeout rate. Overall, they are not making good swing decisions, and they are not making contact. That is a recipe for disaster.
However, they have too talented a lineup for the trend to continue. Eventually, the stars of the lineup will break out of the early slump, and that will help the team stack some wins.
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