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Steve Davis: Jones Needs More Discipline

Adam Jones
2014 All-Star Adam Jones (OF) (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Let me start by saying that Adam Jones gets too much criticism.  He's an outstanding player, and has become a great leader.  That said, I am going to criticize him a little.

He really has slipped into a terrible habit when it comes to plate discipline. He has none. Through 91 games, he walked 9 times.

Brooks Robinson was on the the show Wednesday and said that is far too few walks for this far into the year. His batting average is .288; his OBP just 28 points higher at 310.  To put in perspective just what a poor differential that is, it is the lowest of all 21 offensive players on the All-Star team.

The lowest!

Alex Gordon has a similar average at .290, but his OBP is .358, that's 48 points higher than Jones.

The average All-Star's OBP is 68 points higher than his average. Jones is just 22 points higher.

The defense is that he's an aggressive hitter. He can still be aggressive, but he needs to generate some walks too.

Oh, by the way, the Orioles have 3 of the 4 lowest differentials on the team.  Machado is just 28 points, and Hardy is 39 points, so maybe this is an organizational issue.

That's a conversation for a different day.

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