Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
I cannot imagine the Milwaukee Brewers believed they would see any power come from first base in 2013 without Corey Hart suiting up every night. However, the addition of Juan Francisco has certainly taken care of that, as his power numbers have been encouraging for the organization.
Francisco is currently in a bit of a slump in which he has struck out eight times in his last eight at-bats. However, those things will happen when a hitter is constantly swinging for the fences.
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“He had been doing a really good job,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said, according to Brewers.com. “He was having some good at-bats, he was walking a couple of times, and then he has those two days. Those are hard.”
The Brewers prefer to look on the bright side, which is Francisco has done a tremendous job since the team acquired him from the Atlanta Braves earlier this season. He has crushed 13 home runs, 30 RBI, eight doubles and walked 21 times in 188 at-bats. His batting average (.239) and strikeouts (74) are not exactly ideal. In fact, his 35.7 percent strikeout rate is the second-worst among players with at least 200 at-bats this season. With that being said, Milwaukee appreciates his effort in other areas on offense.
Hopefully, Francisco can climb out of his current slump so that he can get back on track in proving the team he has a future with the Brewers. With Hart most likely leaving the team next season via free agency, Milwaukee will need a power hitter at first base. As of right now, Francisco is definitely giving the organization confidence he could be the man for the job.
