Saturday, August 02

ATLANTA -- Whether enjoying a hot stretch of hitting or ice cold at the plate, there's one thing you won't often see Gavin Lux do. The Reds left fielder/infielder won't expand his strike zone; he usually won't lunge for bad pitches and beat himself in a tough matchup.

Entering Wednesday, the left-handed-hitting Lux was at the top of the Statcast leaderboard with a chase rate of 14.9 percent. The 27-year-old has long been disciplined at not swinging at bad pitches, but his current chase rate is by far the best of his career.

“It’s kind of always been something that’s a strength of mine, I think, since high school and growing up," Lux said. "I definitely take pride in it, having that quality at-bat. I’m trying to have that quality at-bat every time. Early in the count, you’re looking for something to do damage on. If that’s not what you’re looking for, it’s feeling comfortable hitting with two strikes and taking that strike. 

"It’s just understanding that over the course of 600 at-bats, if you stick to your approach, you probably get that pitch and don’t miss it.”

When it comes to two-strike approaches, many hitters take defensive swings to stay alive in the count. Lux tries to stick with his plan.

“The first two strikes are mine. The last one is his [the pitcher]," he said. "You just grind it out, try to put the ball in play and make something happen. I’m going to be selective. If it’s not what I’m looking for, just be comfortable taking it.”

For the most part, it's been a process that's working for Lux this season.

“We’re playing a long game when it comes to that," Reds hitting coach Chris Valaika said. "It’s tough, and I think that’s the maturity that guys go through and that keeps guys in the big leagues -- that type of mentality.”

In 33 games, Lux is ranked 15th in the National League in batting average (.295) and eighth in on-base percentage (.392). He's Cincinnati's co-leader in multi-hit games (9) -- including a four-hit game on April 15 vs. the Mariners and a three-hit game vs. the Cardinals on April 28.

On April 30, Lux saw his career-long hitting streak end at 12 games. Since then, he's fallen into a funk and is 1-for-his-last-21, dropping his average from a season-high .352.

Lux has also averaged 4.22 pitches per plate appearance this season, which is tied for 32nd (min. 100 PA) in MLB, according to SportsRadar. It's an increase from his 3.98 pitches per plate appearance for the Dodgers in 2024, which was ranked 79th among hitters with at least 400 plate appearances.

Either way, Cincinnati's Jan. 6 acquisition of Lux from Los Angeles for outfielder prospect Mike Sirota and a Competitive Balance Round A pick (No. 37 overall) has been a successful one. 

Lux had spent his entire career with the Dodgers after being their 2016 first-round Draft pick. 

“[The Dodgers] had such a veteran presence in that lineup and how they swung the bats over the past couple of years, he comes to this organization with that mindset that controlling the zone matters," Valaika said. "To see him get the playing time he’s getting, I think it just showcases that even more. The opportunities he’s getting against right-handed and left-handed pitching, the professional at-bats he puts together, he doesn’t overthink it. He’s smart, prepared. He goes up there with a plan.”

Lux felt he has adjusted well to a new experience with Cincinnati.

“I think the clubhouse has been really great. It’s a younger group," he said. "There’s a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm. It’s guys kind of at the start of their careers and have a long way to go. That’s the fun part. Obviously, being around Tito [manager Terry Francona], Val and the whole staff, Nap [coach Mike Napoli], these are all really good baseball people. It makes coming to the field enjoyable as well.”

When he was hired as manager by the Reds in October, Francona selected No. 77 for his jersey. It was also the number he wore in his tenure with Cleveland.

Why 77? It turned out to be a matter of practicality. 

“Yonder Alonso came to Cleveland. I was 17, and he wanted to be 17," Francona explained. "I said, ‘I don’t care.’ I don’t wear my jersey anyway. But I didn’t want to change [the number] on my shower shoes and my shirts. So I said, ‘Give me 77,' and put the line [on the one]. I’ve still got the same [stuff], all the same underwear and everything. That’s a true story. That’s not an exaggeration. I didn’t want to change everything, because I’m comfortable, so I put the little thing on the 17 and turned it into 77.”

Before Francona, the highest number worn by a Reds manager was 65, by Hall of Famer Bill McKechnie in 1938. However, McKechnie switched to No. 1 in 1939 and wore it through 1946.

• Rookie Tyler Callihan suffered a gruesome injury on Monday, breaking his left forearm in a wall collision. The replay was hard to watch.

• I answered some Reds questions on video this week.

During the upcoming homestand, the Reds will hold a Pete Rose Night to honor the life and career of baseball's all-time hits leader, who died on Sept. 30 at 83.

Ceremonies will be held before Cincinnati plays the White Sox with a first pitch scheduled for 7:14 p.m. ET -- a nod to Rose's No. 14. 

All fans in attendance will receive a No. 14 Rose replica jersey featuring a commemorative “Pete Rose Night” tag. Click here for tickets and more information.

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