Cincinnati Reds’ Scott Schebler is heating up, but is it enough?

Scott Schebler was awful to start the season for the Cincinnati Reds, which may cost him starting job.

Scott Schebler earned the first chance at the starting right field job for the Cincinnati Reds this season based on his play the last two months of 2016. Based on that production he should be batting over .280 and be looking like a doubles machine. Instead, he has just snuck over .240 and has had difficulty maintaining an OBP above .300. This split production has the Reds wondering what Schebler really is.

In the past week, Schebler has been on fire. He has three home runs and 5 RBIs over 19 at-bats. He also has an OBP of .450.

That adds up to an OPS of 1.450 to go with a batting average of .421. Those are not sustainable numbers. His 19 extra base hits and 8 hits led the team.

Prior to the hot week, though, Schebler was as cold as it gets. Schebler was 13-for-67 or sub-.200. The entire rest of the first month of the season Schebler only five home runs and 13 RBIs.

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Schebler has struck out a combined 22 times over 24 games so far into the season. If Schebler was a true slugger that ratio would be good. Schebler, however, is not a true slugger, but rather a high OBP hitter with doubles power.

The Cincinnati Reds have shown great patience in Scott Schebler, but other players have been playing well too.

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Schebler has started all but one game this year. Joey Votto is the only Reds’ player to play in every game. Schebler, Adam Duvall, and Eugenio Suarez all have missed just one game.

While Votto is former National League MVP and Suarez has been having the best season of his career, Duvall and Schebler haven’t had such great success.

The player who has earned more playing time is former Seattle Mariners’ top prospect Patrick Kivlehan. He has been able to maintain a higher batting average and an OBP despite getting limited playing time. Formerly a slugger, though, Kivlehan has only one extra base hit to date.

Kivlehan is the player that is supposed to be backing up both corner outfielder spots. With Duvall and Schebler playing everyday, Kivlehan isn’t getting the opportunity he earned in spring training and has continued to earn by hitting into the season. If Schebler can’t keep up his hot streak, the Reds will need to give more time to Kivlehan.

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It may even be too late. The Reds can’t afford to let the streaking Schebler determine how the offense goes. It may be time to dial down the amount of time that Schebler gets to play and give someone more consistent a chance.

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