BOSTON — Was Mike Napoli’s late-May offensive explosion nothing more than a mirage?
It sure seems that way, as Napoli has been struggling mightily of late. On Saturday, the first baseman became the latest Red Sox regular to be given a breather by manager John Farrell.
“He was due for a day down and a chance to regroup as well,” Farrell said of holding Napoli out of the starting lineup for Saturday’s middle game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
It’s unclear whether Napoli will sit for more than one game. Farrell was unsure Saturday morning. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Napoli held out of the lineup again Sunday, though, as Farrell recently used such a tactic with David Ortiz and Pablo Sandoval amid their respective offensive woes.
Ortiz received two days off May 28 and 29 in Texas. The idea was for him to work on his swing — spend some time in the “Ortiz Laboratory,” Papi said — while clearing his head. The 39-year-old is hitting .262 (11-for-42) with one homer, six RBIs, four doubles and a .733 OPS in 11 games since the respite.
Sandoval sat out two home games last weekend against the Oakland Athletics. He’s gone 6-for-20 with a homer, four RBIs and an .800 OPS in five game since returning. His home run in the first inning Friday snapped a 64-at-bat homerless drought dating back to May 16.
Perhaps Napoli could benefit from a similar hiatus. It certainly couldn’t hurt, as he’s 1-for-20 with 10 strikeouts over his last five games. He’s hitting just .194 with one homer, five RBIs, 23 strikeouts and a .572 OPS in 18 games since tearing apart the Angels for a three-game stretch May 22 through May 24.
“I can’t say that there’s a change in swing path. Certainly, (his) timing is not as consistent as it was in that late-May stretch,” Farrell said. “So whether there’s a little bit more thinking about some things in the box in the moment, (that) could be there. But just trying to get him to free himself up mentally and trust in his abilities.”
Napoli acknowledged after Friday’s game that he doesn’t look or feel comfortable at the plate. It appears the 34-year-old’s confidence is a bit rattled, and one explanation could be the expanding strike zone across Major League Baseball.
Napoli has seen 4.32 pitches per plate appearance this season, the third-highest total in MLB. He ranked first in pitches per plate appearance in 2013 (4.59), and while he didn’t qualify for the league lead in 2014 because of time missed due to injuries, he was tops among players with at least 119 games played with 4.47 pitches seen per plate appearance.
“He would be the one that’s affected more than any because he does see a high number of pitches,” Farrell said of the evolving strike zone. “It’s clear that the strike zone is wider, it’s lower, or pitches in those areas are being called strikes more. So the player that has notoriously seen a lot of pitches, worked deep counts, they’re going to be most affected by it, just by virtue of the opportunities he’s going to see.”
Napoli entered Saturday hitting an even .200. His on-base percentage — typically a hallmark stat for the 10-year veteran — sits at just .297. It’s been a disappointing season for Napoli so far, which is even more perplexing when one considers last month’s three-game outburst that looked like a potential turning point.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
