Notes: Broxton found way to turn latest cold streak into newest hot streak at the plate

ATLANTA – Nearly every time you talk to a hitter about being on a hot streak, he’ll mention that he’s seeing the ball much better at the plate.

So, it was not surprising Sunday that Brewers centerfielder Keon Broxton said he was seeing the ball better during his recent hitting surge. What made it more interesting was that Broxton said he made an adjustment at the plate that led to that result.

“It was in Arizona when I hit that home run to center the last day (June 11) we were there,” Broxton recalled. “I get set up a little earlier (in the batter’s box) and was able to see the ball better. I came out the next day in St. Louis and continued to work on that.

“It has allowed me to see the ball better. I’ve tried to focus more on seeing the ball and watching it all the way into the (hitting) zone. That’s been a big part of my success, being able to recognize what’s coming at me. Not focusing as much on my swing, but focusing more on the ball.

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“If you’re ready to hit, everything else takes care of itself. I’m ready to attack the baseball and make sure my head is still so I’m able to see it.”

Thanks to that new focus, Broxton is batting .354 (17 for 48) over a 15-game span with seven home runs and 16 runs batted in. He had another big day Sunday against Atlanta with a home run, double, single and three RBI.

Since debuting with the Brewers last season, Broxton has been the epitome of a streaky hitter. In his first 29 games in 2016, covering three different stints with the club, he batted a mere .125. In 46 games after being recalled a fourth time on July 25, he batted .294 with eight homers and 17 RBI.

Broxton’s streaks have been even more pronounced this season. He batted .119 over his first 14 games, .337 over the next 28 games and .082 over the next 16 games before getting hot again the past two weeks.

Every hitter experiences hot and cold streaks over a season but Broxton, 27, wants his bad ones to be less dramatic.

“I think the more I grow and develop as a player, the more I’ll be able to recognize when I’m starting to go bad and switch back to a simple mindset, and just seeing the baseball,” Broxton said. “It’s all a process.

“I think I’m getting better at my pitch-to-pitch recognition. It’s easier said than done but that’s my main focus. Instead of going 0-for-18, limiting it to 0-for-5. Then get back to having good at-bats.”

Broxton has displayed budding power – he hit the longest homer (489 feet) in Busch Stadium history earlier this month – but also swing-and-miss tendencies in his 154 games in the majors. He leads the NL with 101 strikeouts in 240 at-bats this season but manager Craig Counsell thinks that will calm down as Broxton gets more experience.

"We're 450 (at-bats) into his big-league career," Counsell said. "We tend to want to go faster with all this stuff. I think we still need to be patient with Keon and let him put at-bats under his belt. He's proven to be a streaky player up to this point. Every player's goal is to iron that out and even that out. 

"For some guys, that's just how it's going to be. For guys that do a lot of damage, like Keon is capable of doing, the highs and lows tend to be a little bigger. Keon wants to get better at making contact, and we're working at it."

Back to full strength: Leftfielder Ryan Braun and second baseman Jonathan Villar are scheduled to rejoin the Brewers in Cincinnati and be activated after the team off day Monday. Villar likely will play behind red-hot Eric Sogard at second base but Braun will resume his starting role.

Braun has not played since May 25 and his return almost will seem like trading for a big bat.

“Ryan has been an anchor for a long time; he’s been a really good offensive player for a long time,” Counsell said. “He’s been a very consistent offensive player for a long time.

“It’s adding another good hitter to the lineup. It’s also giving us more choices on a daily basis. It’s allowing us to give some guys some rest and keeping them fresh, which I do think is really important. I think that will be a real asset for us as we move forward through the season.”

Rookie outfielder Lewis Brinson was optioned to Class AAA Colorado Springs after the game to clear a roster spot for Braun. The second move for Villar will be determined by the Brewers’ choice to stay with eight relievers or go back to a five-man bench.