Cincinnati Reds: Adam Duvall has been struggling lately

The Cincinnati Reds and the rebuild

The Cincinnati Reds are in the middle of a youth movement. They have been in the midst of a teardown for the past couple of seasons. Furthermore, it has been misery for Reds fans, but it should be worth the wait in the near future. However, the franchise has chosen the right direction for the team overall.

Also, going into a rebuild is difficult. First, beloved veterans pack their bags. The package back is usually inexperienced players or spare parts. This club has been doing just that with notable trades such as Todd Frazier, Aroldis Chapman, Jay Bruce, and Brandon Phillips. Cincy is one of several teams that are flipping rosters over.

But, the Reds have been in the top third of the most productive teams with the bats. This season, the Reds rank 10th overall in offense. Their guys have mashed at Great American Ballpark and haven’t given up on the road either. Even with an awful 62-82 record, they have overachieved at the dish. One of their prime contributors has been slugger Adam Duvall, who has struggled for an extended period of time. Let’s look into his struggle and how he can get back on track.

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The Cincinnati Reds power hitting righty

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Adam Duvall has blossomed with the Reds. In his time in Cincinnati, he has blasted 69 home runs and has 207 RBIs. He is a late bloomer in general, as he is 29 years old already. But, he has excelled in extended time at the Major league level. His breakout year in 2016 has vaulted him into one of the Reds most dangerous hitters, besides Joey Votto.

In 2016, the outfielder hit .241 with 33 home runs and 103 RBIs. This year looks like he will get there again as he has mashed 31 home runs and 95 RBIs.

His BABIP has been better than last year, as he has hit .283 compared to .273 last season. That’s all well and good, but he has been in a slide all September.

Duvall has hit an underwhelming . 188 this month. That isn’t going to win a batting title. Even worse, in the past week he has batted a measly .150. The right handed slugger isn’t putting good at bats together, as he seems overwhelmed at the dish. Another problem has always been the strikeouts. In 2017, his rate has been on of the highest of his career at 26.2%.  This may sound familiar to something from six weeks ago.  Duvall goes up and down.

The slugging outfielder has adapted to hitting strikes consistently. He is most comfortable with them, due to his 66.7% of swinging at them in 2017. The league adapts as well, and is always a game of adjustments. Duvall knows that, and he will continue to grind. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for him, as he has hit .348 in 46 at bats against the Saint Louis Cardinals who are coming to town.

Overall

The Reds close another season of development out in the next couple weeks. With that, finishing out strong is the priority for all the players. Adam Duvall’s end to the marathon is key, as he is still in his prime years. I’m sure he is a great veteran presence to pair with Joey Votto, and this team looks to be getting better every year.

Next: The other guy from the Mat Latos deal arrives