Why Chandler Brock has been better then his average suggests

There really doesn't seem to be anything wrong with 2013 returnee Chandler Brock, except for the fact that his batting average is the lowest it's been since his summer of his freshman year in the Great Lakes league.

Brock, a 2013 second-team NECBLer and 29th on Perfect Games prospect rankings, enters Thursday having hit a meager .255 this season. Part of the struggle? He's striking out more and walking less while also not getting extra bases (just one double).

He's also struggling mightily against left-handers with a average of just .206 and is hitting just .217 on the road. Brock's numbers are excellent against right-handers as well as in home games but he hasn't regained the form he had as a sophomore at Alabama-Huntsville or last summer down the stretch in Vermont.

However, those numbers just scratch the surface. He's put the ball in play in 35 of his 47 at bats and continues to make good contact, but he's ultimately hitting it straight at opposing teams defenders.

Brock's BABIP is at
a career low. 

"I'm seeing the ball good," Brock said. "I'm hitting a lot of barrels but I'm just hitting it right at people. That's baseball though, it will come."

His batting average on balls in play, or BABIP, is at an all-time low. As a 2013 Mountaineer, he had a .400 BABIP- his 2014 average is 100 points lower, at .300. He's knocked the ball out of the infield 19 times but he's had an abundance of lineouts and flyouts that have dropped his average to career lows.

Essentially, Brock has been making good contact and has been driving it into the outfield but he's not hitting it where hitters aren't. He's also fallen behind in the count frequently after taking first pitch strikes and has had to go after pitchers pitches.

"I just got to relax at the plate and be more aggressive," Brock continued. "I'm taking a lot of first pitch fastballs for strikes. I got to swing earlier in the count."

He has hit the ball well when it counts- .333 with runners on base over 18 at bats and .300 with five RBIs with teammates in scoring position. If the last five games are any indication of where he's going, it's up as he holds a .357 mark.

"My goal is to just have fun when I'm up here," Brock said. "Everything will come along."