Oakland Athletics: 5 Reasons to be Optimistic
By Casey Witt
2. Home runs from Josh Reddick.
Apr 12, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick (22) reacts after hitting an RBI single against the Seattle Mariners in the fourth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Just as his hand gesture implies, Josh Reddick has kicked off the 2015 season with a bang. With a slash line of .368/.429/.561, Reddick has shown an extensive amount of patience at the plate. Instead of chasing pitches away and outside of the strike zone — Red has respectively shot the ball to left field, with occasional swings up-the-middle. When he is pitched inside Reddick has the ability to shift his weight from his back leg to front leg, pulling his hands towards the baseball with a level swing, all while keeping his head still — allowing him to make contact more times than not. Going into Thursday, Josh had a six-game hitting streak — 10 for his last 19, with two doubles, a triple, homer, and six RBIs. If the A’s right fielder keeps this up, who knows, maybe, just maybe, Swingin’ A’s will change their site name to “Josh Reddick”.
Next: Too soon to panic