CLEVELAND -- In spring training, Mark Reynolds leaned back in a chair in his locker, put his hands behind his head and said: “You guys know my game.”
What he didn’t say was that his goal this season was to make people know him for a different kind of game.
“I’m trying to cut out the strikeout-prone batter, inconsistent hitter thing,” Reynolds said this week as the Indians were taking a two-game series with the Indians.
So far, so good, as Reynolds and catcher Carlos Santana have had memorable Aprils for the Indians. The two combined have scored 34 runs and driven in 35, with 13 home runs. In a month of fits and starts, with pitchers coming and going and injuries forcing some lineup juggling, the hitting of Reynolds and Carlos Santana has been consistent -- and at times carried the team.
Reynolds’ strikeout reputation is not undeserved. He led the American League every season from 2008-2011, while .239, .260, .198 and .221.
This season he has a different approach, which he described as not getting “pull happy.”
“Take singles when they’re there and pull the mistakes,” he said.
Tuesday night, Reynolds took Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay to right-center for a two-run home run in the first inning. He followed with a single to right in the fourth. In the fifth, with Jason Giambi on second and nobody out, he did what he’s supposed to do -- advance the runner with a ground ball to the right side.
“I don’t remember the last game I had when I had three at-bats to the right of second base,” Reynolds said.
“I would agree,” manager Terry Francona said. “I haven’t followed his career every day but …”
The results are striking: In April he hit .301 with eight home runs and 22 RBI. Those numbers were the highest by an Indian in April since 2001 (Juan Gonzalez). Reynolds’ April batting average was his highest in any month when he played regularly since his rookie year in 2007.
“The more good swings he takes, he’s going to do a lot of damage,” Francona said. “When he uses the whole field you’ll see his batting average climb.”
Francona admits that a guy who swings the way Reynolds does will strike out. But Reynolds has reduced the frequency significantly -- as some of the “inside baseball” stats show.
His at-bat to strikeout ratio is 3.8, by far the best in his career. Prior to this season, the best ratio was 2.9, which means he’s improved the ratio by one-third.
He’s also driving in runs more frequently. The past two seasons he went 6.2 and 6.6 at-bats per RBI; this season that number is down to 4.0.
In doing the little things that win games, Reynolds also has improved. He’s driven in four of six runners on third with less than two outs, and he has advanced 60 percent of runners on second with none out, both career highs.
It’s only a month, but the trends from Reynolds are very positive.
And for a guy who’s always been a hit-or-miss pull hitter, the effort to make the changes is not insignificant. It’s all happened with Reynolds describing himself as a notoriously slow starter. The last two seasons he hit below .200 in Apri1.
“I’m just very happy not having myself in a hole early in the season,” he said.
Santana is simply hitting everything. He leads the league in average (.395), on-base percentage (.483), slugging (.711) and OPS (1.194).
Santana had a miserable start a year ago (.221, five home runs), but finished well, hitting .281 with 13 home runs and 46 RBI and an .887 OPS the second half.
His start this season seems to affirm that he has matured as a hitter.
“I think he’s done a lot of everything that I think sometimes goes unnoticed,” Francona said. “Switch hitting catcher, hits for power, hits for average, will take a walk, can throw with anybody in the league, can move and play first base seamlessly. There’s so much to like, and as he grows as a young catcher that will make it even more impressive.”
