First Pitch Frenchy is Back

Jeff Francoeur is in a slump--that's actually putting it mildly.

Frenchy is oh for his last 25, and is swinging at the first pitch in over half his at-bats during that time.

For proof of this we only need to look at the stats.  After seeing almost 4 pitches per plate appearance over the first week of the season, he is now at 3.07 pitcher per PA for 2010, seeing less than 3 pitches per PA during this slump.

The 3.07 is lower than his woeful career average of 3.38, and much less than the MLB average of 3.78.

His actual first swing percentage on the year is 46%, compared to 28% for the rest of baseball.  And again, prior to the slump he was in the mid-30s, meaning his is swinging at almost 60% of first pitches over the past few games.

That is unacceptable.

I would rather see him come to bat 4 times in a game and not take the bat off his shoulder than continue to flail at the first offering and make out after out.

He needs a day off and a smack in the ass.

Games through April 21, 2010
DATE	OPP	RESULT	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS	AVG
Apr 5	FLA	W 7-1	2	0	1	1	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	.500	1.000	1.500	.500
Apr 7	FLA	L 7-6	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.444	.500	.944	.333
Apr 8	FLA	L 3-1	4	0	2	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	.462	.600	1.062	.400
Apr 9	WAS	W 8-2	4	2	2	0	0	2	3	0	0	0	0	.471	1.000	1.471	.429
Apr 10	WAS	L 4-3	4	1	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	.500	.944	1.444	.444
Apr 11	WAS	L 5-2	3	0	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	.538	1.000	1.538	.476
Apr 13	@COL	L 11-3	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.500	.880	1.380	.440
Apr 14	@COL	L 6-5	3	1	1	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	.514	.929	1.443	.429
Apr 15	@COL	W 5-0	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.513	.875	1.388	.438
Apr 16	@STL	L 4-3	3	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.535	.857	1.392	.457
Apr 17	@STL	W 2-1	7	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	.451	.714	1.165	.381
Apr 18	@STL	L 5-3	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.436	.667	1.103	.356
Apr 19	CHC	W 6-1	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.407	.612	1.019	.327
Apr 20	CHC	W 4-0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	.381	.566	.947	.302
Apr 21	CHC	L 9-3	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.358	.526	.884	.281
Monthly Totals			53	11	16	3	1	3	8	8	6	0	0	.381	.566	.947	.302
			AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	OPS	AVG
Totals			57	11	16	3	1	3	8	8	6	0	0	.358	.526	.885	.281

Jeff Francoeur is Optimistic...I Agree (a little)

The always excellent Kevin Kernan has a nice piece on Jeff Franceur's optimism going forward for 2010.

Francoeur has been something of a tough case for Mets fans, especially those of us who like more advanced stats.

The good: Francoeur was a very welcome shot in the arm when he came over late last year...he's like a permanent 5-hour energy drink. He also has the ability to relax those around him, plays decent (albeit overrated) defense, and he certainly has life in the bat. Lastly, he is extremely durable, can go out there every day and hits lefty's like an all-star.

The bad: It all centers around his inability to get on base. Francoeur has a lifetime .311 OBP in almost 3,000 big league plate appearances.

So why should we be as optimistic as Francoeur?

First off, he has steadily cut down on his Ks.

In the past 4 seasons his K numbers have showed a steady decline: 132, 129, 111, 92

His SO% has decreased in each of his 5 big league campaigns: 21,2%, 19.2%, 18.5%, 17.0%, 14.6%

What hasn't changed, however, are the key stats that lead to a decent on-base percentage.

His pitches per plate appearance have remained steady at around 3.4 per plate appearance. It's pretty tough to take walks with those numbers, but more importantly, Francoeur doesn't allow himself enough patience to wait on the most hittable pitch in an at-bat.

So the optimism must remain "cautious" at this point. Francoeur did make better contact with the Mets than he had in previous Brave campaigns. His batting average and slugging jumped by leaps and bounds, and he certainly looked aggressive and confident at the plate.

If Howard Johnson's work, and Francoer's maturity, can harness the talent into a 25 HR, 90 RBI, .330 OBP type of player, than it is a win all around.

Francoeur is never going to get on base a ton--this we know--what we want is for him to get on base "enough" while providing a solid presence in the lower half of the lineup.

I am optimistic about that.