CINCINNATI -- The Reds offense ranks in the middle of Major League Baseball in team batting average and OPS. But one area where they are excelling is average pitches per plate appearance. At 4.11 pitches per plate appearance, Cincinnati is ranked second overall and No. 1 in the National League entering Sunday.
“I think it’s one of the strengths of our offense, just tough at-bats and guys going deep in the count,” Reds manager David Bell said on Friday. “Some of our best hitters are patient hitters. I think that’s part of our identity as an offense. I think as we go through the season, it will come up more and more.”
Individually, Tyler Stephenson (4.43), Jonathan India (4.40) and Jake Fraley (4.30) rank among the Top 30 of hitters in pitches seen per plate appearance, and Spencer Steer is in the Top 50.
India values extended duels with pitchers, especially as the team’s leadoff hitter.
“I like to grind out at-bats, work counts and make the pitcher work,” India said. “If the pitch is there for me and it’s the first pitch, I will swing. But I like to work the count. I like to make them earn his zone.”
“After a really long at-bat, the next hitter can step into the box with just a little more confidence or an edge,” Bell said. “It’s not always the case but sometimes it has that effect where it carries over to the next hitter. It’s a long time for the pitcher to keep grinding it out and making pitches over and over again.”
Besides being more comfortable seeing pitches, Fraley believes that, in essence, he is having multiple at-bats within one plate appearance when he’s able to extend counts.
“You wear down the pitcher. Obviously, in this game, pitchers are so freaking good, so the quicker you get them out of games, the better,” Fraley said on Friday. “It wears them down over the course of a series when you’re able to be consistent with it. It allows you to really be in control.”
Fraley’s approach helped the Reds get a 6-4 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 9.
Against Phillies starter Taijuan Walker, Fraley drew an eight-pitch walk in the first inning.
In the fourth, Fraley worked Walker for nine pitches before striking out.
Another nine-pitch plate appearance against Walker ended with a walk to finish the starter’s outing in the fifth.
In the eighth against Craig Kimbrel, Fraley hit a 104.7 mph line drive that was caught in center field on pitch No. 7.
Finally, in the top of the ninth on a 1-2 pitch from closer Seranthony Domínguez, Fraley lofted a 72.5 mph fly ball for a bases-loaded double that scored three runs.
For Fraley, his definition of success in plate appearances has nothing to do with outcomes.
“After every single game, I go back and reassess every one of my at-bats. I base it on my outcome scale, which is quality at-bats,” said Fraley, who is batting .314/.432/.457 in 12 games.
The box score from that game said Fraley was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks.
“For me, when I looked at the game, I was 5-for-5 because I had five good plate appearances,” Fraley said. “There’s so much in this game that’s out of your control. … For me, because of how I look at my at-bats and base it off my own scale of quality at-bats and write it down, it’s a quality at-bat for me. I rewarded myself. Little things like that are almost like tricking your brain into being able to handle so much of this game that is out of your control.”
While praising the approach, Bell still wants hitters to be ready to hit and, like India, be aggressive on the right pitch.
“You have to be ready. You have to be on the attack,” Bell said. “When you do that, I believe that’s how you see pitches longer and that’s how you recognize pitches. If you’re tentative or hesitant, you end up chasing more, I think. It’s kind of a fine balance there.”