For me, a slump would occur when a player is having trouble during only 5%, possibly 10%, but certainly not 3% of a season.
For how many games has Merrill experienced this downturn? Five games, accounting for just 3% of the entire season. This isn’t really a slump—it’s merely a rough patch.
Last five games
May 13: 0 for 4, 1 strikeout
May 14: 0 for 4, 1 strikeout
May 16: 0-for-4, 2 strikeouts
May 17: 1 hit out of 4, 2 strikeouts
May 18: 0 for 3, 1 strikeout
I've noticed quite a bit of disappointment online regarding his performance issues, and I understand where they're coming from. He deserved to win Rookie of the Year and should have had a .467 batting average and a 1.259 OPS entering May 13 this season. It's odd for fans like me to watch him chase pitches outside the strike zone and fail to produce hits during games.
However, during this poor run of his, which consists of merely five games, we really shouldn't be making too much out of it. Sure, it feels more discouraging as it coincides with the Padres being swept and failing completely—going 0-for-21—with runners in scoring position. Nevertheless, let's step back and consider the broader perspective.
Prior to these past five games, he had played another set of five matches as follows:
May 12: Hit 3 out of 4 times with 1 run batted in.
May 10: 4 for 6, scored 2 runs, drove in 2 RBIs
May 9: 3 hits out of 5 at-bats, scored 1 run, drove in 2 runs
May 7: 2 for 4, 1 home run, 2 runs batted in
May 6: 2 for 4, 1 run
If Merrill keeps having trouble, I'd be shocked. He's among the top outfielders in the sport.
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