Will Middlebrooks - trying to stay upbeat

photo courtesy of Eagle Tribune
Will Middlebrooks is trying to keep his head up, despite his struggles this year. He's batting .196 so far this year, and his slump has been made all the more frustrating by the fact that he is quickly being overtaken by new fan favorite, Jose Iglesias. He is trying to keep a cool head despite his frustration, he told MLB.com.

"I know who I am, and of course it gets tough," he said. "You're not used to being a .200 hitter. And I know I'm not."

And he is handling the rise of Jose Iglesias well, saying he's "here to win," according to MLB.com. He's striking all the right chords in the media, but I'm sure it is frustrating, as he was one of the few (probably the only) bright spots in last year's disaster of a season. He's been feeling better, he told MLB.com, and he's making solid contact, but the way to break the slump is a couple cheap infield hits or a bloop before starting to blast balls into the gap. But I was never good at the plate when I played, so what do I know? I probably hit less than .100 for my career. So it probably wouldn't be wise to listen to me if Middlebrooks does happen to read this. But either way, I hope he picks himself up soon, because he's too good to be playing like this.

Twitter - @ConorJF1016
Conor Frederick
Contributing Writer