Billy Hamilton has shown he can be a game changer for the Cincinnati Reds if he gets the chance to just take off.
The 25-year-old, switch-hitting speed demon has been much maligned for his inability to reach first base. During his first two seasons with the Reds he had unimpressive on-base percentages of .292 and .274.
His failure to reach base at a higher rate for a leadoff hitter prompted Reds’ manager Bryan Price to drop the speedster in the order all the way to ninth, where he has a .279 OBP as opposed to .323 in the leadoff spot and .302 batting second.
All of that may be changing now.
Hamilton is finally on the verge of a .300 OBP. His .255 average and .299 OBP still need improvement, but Hamilton is showing he is capable of making enough adjustments at the plate to earn his way back to the top of the lineup, where he can maximize the amount of havoc he can wreak.
In his last 30 games, Hamilton is hitting at a .293 clip. Over his past seven games, Hamilton has taken off by hitting .417 with five stolen bases.
Hamilton has shown progress in other areas over the past two years. His switch from shortstop to center field after one minor league season was amazingly successful to the extent that now only complete negligence or incompetence can prevent Hamilton from receiving his overdue Gold Glove recognition.
Hamilton also learned how to improve his steal rate. He stole 56 bags as a rookie but was nailed 23 times. Last year, he stole 57 and was caught just eight times. So far this year, Hamilton has swiped 13 bags and been caught three times.
The game-changing full throttle that Hamilton provides the Reds is one of the keys that can lift the team from its current depth of failure.
Hamilton can’t steal first base, but he can steal just about everything else if he just reaches base enough for him to remain an everyday player.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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