Cincinnati Reds’ Adam Duvall looking to improve on All-Star season

After having a great first half in 2016, Adam Duvall looks to have an even better year for the Cincinnati Reds in 2017.

Adam Duvall had an impressive first half to the 2016 season for the Cincinnati Reds before making the All-Star team.  Duvall hit .249 with 23 home runs in the first half last year.  He played in 83 games , despite sharing left field to start the season with Scott Schebler, amassing a slugging percentage of .839.

In the second half Duvall only his 10 home runs and played in 67 games.  His OBP went above .300, but his average and slugging decreased.  Duvall’s strikeout rate also dropped off in the second half.

Looking at his 2016 season, two months stand out.  In May Duvall hit 11 home runs, which is more than his entire second half total.  In August he had an OBP of .343 which is 30 points higher than any other month for last season.

Duvall also was playing elite defense in left field.  He joined center fielder Billy Hamilton as a Gold Glove finalist.  That is particularly impressive as it was his first year as a full-time outfielder.

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Among all left fielders in 2016, no one had more putouts than Duvall.  He also led MLB left fielders in chances.  With 8 assists and 8 errors, Duvall had a little room for improvement, but not a whole lot.

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Adam Duvall’s aim was to do even better for the Cincinnati Reds across the board in during the 2017 campaign.

Duvall is off to an arguably better start this season than he did last year.  He is batting .280 with a .325 OBP as the All-Star Game approaches.  He didn’t hit as many homers as he did in April of 2016, but his OBP has gotten better every month this season.

Duvall has also been absolutely destroying left-handed pitching.

He has hit a third of his homers off of lefties, despite only facing them about a fifth of the time time.  His OBP against them is 70 points higher.

Defensively, only All-Star left fielder Marcell Ozuna of the Miami Marlins has a higher range factor than Duval in the NL.  Ozuna is also the only left fielder to log more innings in left this season that Duvall in all of the major leagues.  Duvall, though, does have one more assist and one fewer error.

Next: Is Adam Duvall the next Kevin Maas?

Duvall has been doing his best all season to have a better 2017 than 2016.  It appeared that he may have been another flameout like former Yankee Kevin Maas early in his time with the Reds.  Now Duvall trends toward an upgraded version of former Red Austin Kearns.