Alou Struggling, Gets Day Off
Moises Alou is getting the day off today. After three straight months of solid performance (.857, .829, and .969 OPS in May, June, and July, respectively), Alou’s struggled in August, hitting .205/.305/.361, for a .666 OPS. (See splits.) There’s definitely been something wrong, as he’s struck out in 23% of his at-bats in August, which is twice the rate he struck out in April, his next highest month in terms of K rate. While batter strikeouts aren’t something us statheads normally focus on, considering them to be just another out, an increase in K rate like Alou has experienced could indicate some mechanical problems.
For the year, Alou ranks 13th among leftfielders in Runs Above Replacement Player.