Getting in the swing of things
Arcia has taken a step forward offensively
On a team overloaded with underperforming offensive performers, one player has taken a step forward this season for the Milwaukee Brewers to exceed expectations.
And it's a player whose job security was threatened with a shot across his bow by management over the offseason.
Shortstop Orlando Arcia, whose pinch RBI single in the eighth inning Monday night allowed the Brewers to slip past last-place Pittsburgh, 6-5, has been the team's most consistent hitter during the pandemic-shortened 60game season. Not consistently great. Just consistent, which is more than anyone else on the club can boast.
Entering play Tuesday, Arcia was batting .262 with a .340 on-base percentage and .721 OPS in 94 plate appearances over 33 games. If he is able to maintain those levels over the final four weeks, the OBP would be a career best and the OPS the highest for Arcia since a .731 mark in 2017, his first full season in the majors.
Even more impressive has been Arcia's balance of 10 walks to 12 strikeouts, a vast improvement for a hitter with free-swinging tendencies who often got himself out too often by swinging at bad pitches. Entering the season, the Venezuelan native had compiled 343 career strikeouts and only 109 walks in 1,676 plate appearances, a 3.15 ratio.
“I think Orlando's definitely taken a step forward offensively this year,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It has cost him a little bit at this point of maybe driving the baseball (only two home runs), but driving the baseball is coming for him. I really believe that because this is the approach that's going to work for