How long should Braves stick with McLouth hitting second?
The Braves' Nate McLouth already has struck out five times in four games batting second. (AP photo)
The first four games of a 162-game season doesn’t represent a scientific sampling. But this is the way things are tilting for the Braves regarding the team’s four biggest question marks heading into the year:
♦ 1. Chipper Jones (his health and swing): Thumbs up. He is hitting .353 (6 for 17) with two doubles and two RBI. His impressive spring was not an aberration.
♦ 2. Craig Kimbrel (replacing Billy Wagner as closer): Thumbs up. The 23-year-old has two saves in two appearances, striking out five of the six batters he has faced.
♦ 3. Defense (poor last year): Thumbs up. Only one error (on pitcher Tommy Hanson), two double plays and a majors-best .993 team fielding percentage in four games. Last season, the Braves’ 126 errors trailed only Pittsburgh and Washington (127 each) for the most in baseball.
♦ 4. Nate McLouth: Thumbs down.
So here’s the problem, if we can call it a problem after four games. McLouth had a solid spring and won the starting center field job over Jordan Schafer, who was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. The job is McLouth’s for the foreseeable future.
The question is where to bat McLouth in the order. Manager Fredi Gonzalez has started him in the No. 2 spot, believing his speed would be an asset and his offensive problems were sufficiently straightened out.
But the reviews so far aren’t good. McLouth went 1 for 4 in Monday’s win over Milwaukee, which is fine. But he also struck out twice, which a No. 2 hitter can’t do. Success in that spot of the order is predicated on the batter making contact and advancing the runner. So far this season, McLouth is 3 for 16 (.188) with a team-high five strikeouts and one walk. He’s also 0 for 1 in stolen base attempts. (McLouth did score three times in an 11-2 win at Washington.)
The question is: How long will Gonzalez stick with McLouth? There’s an obvious viable option in Jason Heyward, who is batting sixth and is off to a good start (4 for 12) with a home run, two RBI, four walks and a team-best on-base percentage of .500.
Heyward has a better chance to drive in more runs hitting sixth. But he’ll get to the plate more often hitting second, which theoretically makes the Braves a bigger offensive threat.
Gonzalez isn’t likely to make any change soon. The question is how long does he stick with McLouth batting second?
Do you have any confidence McLouth will find a groove? Or should Gonzalez just go ahead and make the change now?
Plan for Tuesday: Driving to Augusta to cover Tiger Woods’ press conference.
By Jeff Schultz
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259 comments Add your comment
Tucker T
April 5th, 2011
12:23 am
For a second there I thought I was living in New York where the media pounces on stories in lightning fast time. How about we give Nate at least 2 weeks and then you can write your story about moving him down in the lineup. Not saying it won’t happen, just that Nate should get more than 4 games.
cooper
April 5th, 2011
12:58 am
McLouth and Saffer are two peas in the same pod. They did great until they got to major league and other than 2008 when McLouth had his only year that resembles a major league ball player ability, they have both been total wash outs
Some players just don’t have the mental toughness to play at the major league level. I think the Braves should package both along with Kawakami, accept the reality that the front office made 3 mistakes, agree to pay their salaries for this year and beg anyone to take them off your hands.
Move on Braves they cost you enough last year. I’m sure their is a better OF somewhere in the Braves minor league that is better than McLouth.
DHD
April 5th, 2011
1:02 am
How about a 3-1 record on the road? Do you mess with the chemistry? I give him more time. if you pull him now, he’s done. As long as we’re winning, leave it alone.
JRW7
April 5th, 2011
1:06 am
JEFF
I am not a MCOUT fan, but lets give him more than 4 games to prove to MFG that he can’t hit and can’t throw! Something is wrong with his arm, he can’t throw! Maybe 10 games?
Summerteeth
April 5th, 2011
1:23 am
Nate is not a 2 hole hitter. He doesn’t make enough contact. He is best suited lower in the order.
carney johnson
April 5th, 2011
1:31 am
chipper looks like he’d make an ideal 2 hitter at this stage of his career.
common sense
April 5th, 2011
1:34 am
Four games is no indication of the season! Dan Uggla is hitting worse than McLouth. (.176 to .188). Maybe we should drop him to the eight hole. Freddy Freeman is hitting just .143. Maybe we should cut our losses now and release him! Give me a break! it hasn’t even been a week yet! Common sense says to give it at least a couple of weeks before even bringing up such talk, not FOUR GAMES!
TampaDAWG
April 5th, 2011
2:00 am
He never has batted for a high average, but he does need to make more contact. I’d bat Heward 2nd so you have to pitch to him, Chipper, or Mcann. Not worried about one person driving in runs as much as the team having more back to back to back opportunities to drive in runs. Well see. It is way to early to tell, normally unless there are a lot of injuries you can’t get a good read on a team until about 40-50 games in.
tony
April 5th, 2011
2:01 am
If a player makes you cringe then I say you got a problem.
Summerteeth
April 5th, 2011
2:06 am
I agree with posts that Chipper should bat 2nd and Heyward 3rd.
My lineup would be:
Prado
Chipper
Heyward
Uggla
McCann
Gonzalez
Freeman
McLouth
tony
April 5th, 2011
2:43 am
My lineup:
Jason Heyward (OBP 396, CSB 11, momentum starts with this young man)
Prado
Chipper
Uggla
McCann
McLouth
Gonzalez
Freeman
big o
April 5th, 2011
2:47 am
Jeese J.S. let’s give the guy more than 4 games. I’m not a huge fan of his but Bobby use to say you pretty much know what you have after 40 games. I agree with Archie we could move AG to hit in the 2 hole but I think more time is needed. Let’s at the least see what Shafer does at Gwinett.
My Man Woody
April 5th, 2011
2:56 am
I agree with several posters. The braves need to go ahead and move chip to second and heyward to third. A 1-5 of prado, chipper, heyward, mccann, uggla would be unmatched in the NL. The only issue is they are giving away an inning with gonzalez, mcclouth and the pitcher, but this is still better than whats happening now.
tony
April 5th, 2011
3:21 am
You want your 1 and 2 running the bases so why would anyone want injury prone Chipper Jones hitting 2nd? The more he is on base the greater the chance of him getting injured due to his age and past history. THANK ABOUT THAT.
Buzz ME
April 5th, 2011
4:43 am
Hey Jeff
What’s the question? You only asked it 3 times in a short article. McClouth shot his wad in spring training. He and the always injured JJ need to go!
bob
April 5th, 2011
5:32 am
Ever wonder why the AJC stuck with you after four columns?
Good grief!!
tbhawksfan
April 5th, 2011
5:48 am
Just be flexible. If he keeps stinking it up for a few games, nothing wrong with moving him in the order. A lot right with moving Heyward from 6 to 2. Looks like Heyward is going to be a great 3 hitter.
Paddy
April 5th, 2011
6:39 am
How long. Give him the whole mon. of April.
Chris P. Bacon
April 5th, 2011
6:43 am
We’re living in bizzarro world when AJC bloggers are the voice of reason and AJC writers are demonizin’ players after four games!
NCBravesFan
April 5th, 2011
6:53 am
Summerteeth @1:23am – BINGO! The question shouldn’t be, “how long will they” … in reality it should be, “what’s he doing there in the first place.”
Always A Brave.
April 5th, 2011
7:00 am
How much time do we give him. I would like to see him do good but I dont think it will happen. If the braves are going to contend they will have to trade for a good center fielder that can hit. Nate is not getting the job done.
Orlando Brave
April 5th, 2011
7:04 am
McClouth is who I look for in the box score everyday because I knew guys like Jeff Schultz would be waiting to rip him. Give him more than 4 games, dude. He is one of the biggest keys to our line up being great and not just good.
Formul8or
April 5th, 2011
7:07 am
People are blowing this our of proportion. Heyward was terrible in the 2 spot last year. He struck out a ton towards the end of the season in that spot.
McLouth has the swing, he’ll be fine. He doesn’t look like last year.
Timbo
April 5th, 2011
7:20 am
I think the Braves should just take him out back and shoot him.
Brasstown Bravo
April 5th, 2011
7:21 am
Seriously…you must be desperate for column ideas.
Timbo
April 5th, 2011
7:22 am
C’mon Jeff, its only been 4 games.
Timbo
April 5th, 2011
7:22 am
4 games…
Timbo
April 5th, 2011
7:22 am
4
Larry
April 5th, 2011
7:27 am
Whoever thinks that Heyward is a #2 hitter has never played above Tee Ball. Too much of a long, sweeping swing to be a situational hitter required at #2. Freddy has him right where Cox should have put him last year as a #5 or 6 hitter. He’ll move up when Chipper retires.
I still believe McLouth should be hitting 1st or 8th. As the leadoff hitter he has several options to use his speed to get on base and Prado is the absolutely prototype #2 hitter with his bat control, plate discipline and hitting IQ. I think there would be less pressure on McLouth to hit lead-off where the goal is more simple…just get on base and not think about asjusting your swing to advance the runner.
tim
April 5th, 2011
7:35 am
If McClouth hasn’t shown some improvement by the end of this series then I think we show the Phillies another line up.
just facts
April 5th, 2011
7:39 am
I don’t understand people saying give him a chance. he was an all-star in Pittsburg only because there has to be at least one representative from each team. he hit .276 that year… he was the best player on a terrible team. besides that one “all star” year, he has NEVER hit above .257 for ANY year including the minors.
people that say give him time to get back to the old mcclouth are saying he will get back to hitting .260 and striking out 1 of every 5 at bats (career stats). the braves need more than the old nate mclouth in CF.
canseco's other twin
April 5th, 2011
7:46 am
well, doubting mcclouth right now after the year he had last year is kind of like having a girlfriend that cheated on you last year, while you are giving her the benefit of the doubt, she keeps coming in late at night, and there are numbers on her cell phone you dont recognize, she calls you by the wrong name…… yeah, you are gonna worry.
GT
April 5th, 2011
7:46 am
Three for four on the road. Before yesterday’s game they were talking about Prado. McClouth was off last year because of the collision with Heyward that knocked him out. That why it was good to see him have a good spring, he is back, he will be fine.
El Bravo
April 5th, 2011
7:47 am
Speaking scientifically Jeff you would have to give him a statistically significant sample size. In order to get an accurate assessment of his contact rate, strikeout rate, line drive rate and pitches per plate appearance (all key stats for a two hole hitter) you are looking at 100 to 150 plate appearances or about 25 games. I would say you give him at least 20 games and then you start considering other options…
Truth
April 5th, 2011
7:49 am
you have to keep Mclouth a little longer
If Heyward bats 2nd.. who will protect Uggla? they will just pitcyh around him to get to Freeman, Gonzo and McOut.. It will be a repeat of last year when 6-9th spot were automatic outs
Larry
April 5th, 2011
7:49 am
Jeff,
Come on man and tell the truth! You’re jealous of his hair, right?
If McLouth shaves his head do you think you could give him maybe a pool of 15-20 games before the media crucifixion?
Come on, Jeff!
Blackberry Cobbler
April 5th, 2011
7:51 am
McOUT is not the only potential problem. Gonzalez and Freeman have also, so far, been light hitters.
McOUT, Gonzalez, and Freeman will have to contribute more if the Braves expect to win the Division.
joe
April 5th, 2011
7:52 am
comment on the “improved” defense. Chipper had 2 balls clang off his glove in the Washington series that were ruled hits and Mcbad had a ball bounce off the heal of his glove that turned an out ( or at worst a single) into a triple so don’t get to excited about the Braves defensive improvement.
joe
April 5th, 2011
7:53 am
Ps looks like Freeman can really pick it at first, that should definitely help over 162……
Wrecker
April 5th, 2011
7:55 am
The real question is whether McLouth is making the adjustments and putting in the extra work necessary to be successful. If he is doing everything Larry Parrish is asking and has good at-bats, then he should stay. However, what I see is one of the longest swings on the team and no mental approach at the plate. I have not heard Nate talk much, but he does not seem to be one of the more “cerebral” players. The second spot in the order requires the correct mental approach (i.e., do I look for the outside pitch to hit the ball the other way and advance the runner with a ground ball out). Heyward had some of the approach last year, but Martin Prado is the king of situational hitting. Nate never seems to adjust his swing or cut it down to adjust to the situation. Ideally, we would move Nate to leadoff and hit Martin second.
01HAWK
April 5th, 2011
7:56 am
MCOUT does not like the pressure. As long as he was in Pittsburgh he did not have any pressure on him……………………………..But now he can not handle the pressure of being with a contender. Unfortunately the BRAVES do not have the resources to just release a guy making a decent salary of 7 MILLION.
I wish the BRAVES could do like the METS did before the season started:
Luis Castillo’s reign of error with the Mets came to an end Friday when the team agreed to eat the $6 million remaining on his contract and release the second baseman.
The old Mets’ brass might have told Oliver Perez to go warm up in the bullpen. The new regime simply told him to go away.
The team released the embattled left-hander and will pay him the remaining $12 million on a three-year $36 million deal he signed in 2009. Perez went just 3-9 with a 6.81 ERA in the first two years of the contract.
Flatulent Old Dawg
April 5th, 2011
7:56 am
Kinda looks like he did all of last year…and that was the Year of the McOut……yikes, here he goes again!
Lum
April 5th, 2011
7:57 am
You think four games is sufficient to start tinkering? The team is 3-1 with sound offense and defense. Let’s let it cook for a while.
MitchC
April 5th, 2011
7:57 am
Jeff, with the team being three and one, having started the season on the road no less, I think you might be a bit quick about this. Hot hitting streaks, or slumps, look magnified early in the season.
If the team keeps winning, I would not make any changes for about two weeks.. at least. If the club should hit a slump as a whole, then maybe Gonzalez should consider a change.
We have 158 games to go, and while I understand it’s a writer’s job to “evaluate”, it seems to me this comes a bit too early. Let’s enjoy the three and one start, and hope the team can build on it.
phil
April 5th, 2011
7:58 am
If McOut goes 0 for the rest of this series in Milwaukee, he’s toast at #2. Drop him to 8 quickly so that his constant upper cut strikeouts are less painful. Matbe bat him 9th since most of our pitchers are better hitters.
The man has had nearly 2 years to prove himself. It isn’t happening. He can’t hit and he’s terrible in the field. It’s becoming more and more painful to watch. I don’t want to waste 20 more games on this guy. Why bother? If he wants the job and wants to hit second, he’d best start actually hitting and that now!
Wrecker
April 5th, 2011
7:58 am
Lum: If it were only four games, it would not be an issue. What I am seeing is the same thing we have gotten out of Nate in his entire time here, a failure to make adjustments to how pitchers are pitching him.
01HAWK
April 5th, 2011
8:00 am
Liberty Media needs to sell team so that The BRAVES can have the resources to release players such as MCOUT.
BRAVES can not afford to eat 18 MILLION loke the MUTTS can. Release him and put SCHAFFER in CF. Can he be any worst.
What happened to the speed guy we were to get in MCOUT.
ET
April 5th, 2011
8:01 am
I wouldn’t worry about Nate, It’s just one of those little 166 game slumps. He will snap out of it just as quick as he got into it…
Terry P.
April 5th, 2011
8:05 am
Jeff- this article regarding McClouth is ridiculous! They haven’t even played 10% of their season. They will give him until the all-star break, but it will not be necessary bc he will be performing. Glad you aren’t the coach.
Jimmy Crack
April 5th, 2011
8:06 am
OH NO! Nate is regressing to his famous Charlie Brown swing!
“For the fences? Heck I’m swinging for the Moon!”
Jeff…4 days…The soup does not need stirring yet.