Cincinnati Reds: No need to panic over Eugenio Suárez’s recent slump

The Cincinnati Reds’ best player is mired a funk right now. Eugenio Suárez is off his game, but there’s no need to panic. We’ve seen this before.

Up until recently, I would’ve guaranteed that Eugenio Suárez would have a secure roster spot on the National League All-Star team. Unfortunately, a sharp tumble in his numbers has Cincinnati Reds‘ fans concerned about their third baseman. Don’t worry, we’ve seen this before.

I think it’s only natural, when you’re a fan of a team like the Reds, to turn every little gaffe or concern into the worst thing imaginable. Especially in today’s day and age of social media, simple issues surrounding a team become magnified because of increased focus on the negative. That’s what we’re seeing with Eugenio Suárez.

Is the Reds’ best player in a slump? You betcha. Suárez has been off his game for sure. Over the last 15 games, in 59 at-bats, Suárez has just 9 hits and his slashing .153/.219/.203 with 1 home run and 18 strikeouts. It gets even worse if you look at the most recent history. Over the last 7 games, Suárez is slashing .115/.258/.231. Yikes!

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So, what should David Bell do? Is it time to bench Suárez in favor of Derek Dietrich or Kyle Farmer? Should the Reds look to trade him before he declines for good and has no value on the market? Does he need a day off? Is he hurt?

Of course, I’m being facetious. No, it’s not time to bench Suárez in favor of anyone. He’s the best player on this Cincinnati Reds team. The idea of trading Suárez is ludicrous and that’s all I have to say on that issue. Is he hurt? I don’t think so. Could he use a day off? Maybe, but just one.

We’d all like to think that these players are superhuman and should go out every game and play at the highest level night in and night out. The fact is, even the best players in Major League Baseball struggle and go through slumps, and that’s what we’re seeing from Suárez right now.

Remember earlier this season when the sky was falling and Joey Votto was too old to play baseball anymore? Votto had a slow start to the season, no doubt, but a .206 batting average on May 12th is now sitting at .257. Votto raised his average over 50 points in just over a month.

During those 27 games, Votto is hitting .319 with 7 doubles and 3 home runs. He’s also really cut down on his strikeouts and looks like the version of Joey Votto that we all know and love. So, if one of the best players in the history of the Cincinnati Reds is able to suffer through a minor slump, I have confidence that Suárez will snap out of his soon as well.

This is baseball folks. It’s a game filled with hot streaks and cold periods. Earlier this season, Suárez had a 5-game hitting streak and a 12-game on-base streak. He was also red hot during a 21-game stint that saw him slash .365/.406/.694 with 7 doubles, 7 homers, and 23 RBIs from May 4th through the 27th.

I’m as big a fan of Eugenio Suárez as you’ll meet and I want him to break out of this recent slump as well, but there’s no cause for panic. Baseball is a see-saw affair that relies on adjustments from hitters and pitchers. Right now, opposing pitchers have found something that’s working against Geno, but I have complete confidence in the Cincinnati Reds’ third baseman that he’ll figure it out.