Heading into Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals, Josh Vitters of the Chicago Cubs was batting a paltry .076 with a.127 on-base percentage and a .152 slugging percentage. He's had 66 at-bats and the only stat worth smiling at this point is the fact that he's got three extra-base hits, which isn't saying much at all. It's a disappointing start to a major league career after such a solid Triple-A season.
ESPN's Doug Padilla took a look at Vitters and his performance thus far. He had a quote from manager Dale Sveum that doesn't speak to a lot of confidence in Vitters. He was asked if he is seeing enough from Vitters' approach at the plate:
"I think it's like anything, adjustments have to be applied in the game," Sveum said. "We can do all the batting practice and teaching all we want, but if it isn't applied in the game.
"That's where you have to start evaluating. Can people apply it and make adjustments on the fly in a game?"
What's clear is that Vitters will have some changes to make to his game. He can't continue with the same approach to the plate and just hope it works. If the big game is going to click for him, he'll likely need to make it click. The piece also has a quote from Vitters though, where he says he's not going to let it get the best of him, so it's a good sign that he's confident in his own ability. Only time will tell if his confidence is enough to get him to the next level.
For more on this series, check out Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. Follow Baseball Nation for all your up-to-date MLB news and analysis.