Logan Forsythe is Finally Finding His Rhythm

Apr 2, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman

(10) singles during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

It’s taken far too long of the 2014 season but it appears that Logan Forsythe has finally found his rhythm at the plate for the Tampa Bay Rays.

After a dismal start to the season, Forsythe, acquired in an offseason trade from the San Diego Padres for Alex Torres, has found his rhythm over the last two weeks. In his last 12 games, he’s 20-for-41, good for an average of .487.

He finally hit his first homer of the season on June 28 against the New York Yankees, then hit his second bomb of the year the next day.

Forsythe has been flirting with the Mendoza line all season long and has dipped below that too. On May 2 he was hitting a season low .154 but steadied the ship somewhat, getting up to a .206 average on May 27.

However, he slipped below again and on June 15th was hitting .178. Now, on July 4th, he’s up to .253 after his recent tear.

The Forsythe we’ve seen in recent weeks is the player Joe Maddon expected to see all season long.

For the season, Forsythe has a slash line of .253/.301./.346 which is much more respectable than what it was earlier in the season. Forsythe has driven in 11 runs this season.

Despite his up-and-down season with the bat, Forsythe has played really well defensively. He’s played at second base, third base, shortstop, first base and in the outfield, making just one error all year.

Forsythe will continue to be used as a utility player for the Rays, but if his bat continues to stay hot, he could well be in the line-up more regularly.

His recent hot streak also shows the faith Maddon has had in Forsythe. Despite calls for him to be sent to the minors, he never was, large in part due to how well he’s played defensively, but also because it was a matter of time before Forsythe started to find his groove at the plate.