Astros: 10 stats comparing Brantley and Reddick for an important decision
By Paul Conlon
Stats #5-7: Sizing up Brantley’s and Reddick’s success at plate
Key Stat #5: On-base percentage
Great ballplayers know that getting on base is not just about getting hits. Brantley has walked 402 times to Reddick’s 367. However, considering that Reddick has featured over half a thousand less plate appearances than Brantley, Reddick’s career efficiency in walks qualifies as superior. On the other hand, in over 500 more opportunities as a hitter, Brantley has struck out 173 times less than Reddick.
Brantley’s career .354 on-base percentage surpasses Reddick’s .322. Neither player has finished a season with a coveted .400 OBP—considered a hallmark of excellence—but Brantley’s 2014 campaign saw him finish as high as .385.
In 2019, Brantley’s .354 OBP bested Reddick’s .319. To Reddick’s credit, however, just three seasons ago, he got on base at a .363 clip—so, it remains possible that 2019 was just a down year for the veteran.
Career advantage: Brantley
2019 advantage: Brantley
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Key Stat #6: Batting average
Brantley’s career batting average is .297, while Reddick sits at .263. Brantley’s best year thus far was arguably his 2014 campaign when he hit .327 and came in third place in MVP voting. Over the course of his career, Brantley has finished five different seasons above .300, as well as one season at .299.
Reddick’s best batting average result was in 2017 when he hit .314, the only season he finished with an average above .300.
In 2019, Brantley boasted a .311 average, while Reddick started red-hot but cooled off to a .275 finish.
Career advantage: Brantley
2019 advantage: Brantley
Key Stat #7: Career hits
After 11 seasons of work, Brantley has tallied 1,374 hits compared to Reddick’s 1,072. Don’t look now, but if Brantley averages 149 hits per year for 11 more seasons he could wind up punching a ticket to Cooperstown by way of joining the 3,000-hit club. That’s a long way off, though.
In 2019, Brantley led the Astros with 179 hits. Meanwhile, Reddick finished in sixth place on the team in hits production with 138.
Career advantage: Brantley
2019 advantage: Brantley