Phillies: Has Andrew McCutchen finally found his stride?

So far this month May, Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen‘s batting average on balls in play (BABIP) has been a completely different story — an incredibly high .381, compared to .226 throughout April. He’s making stronger contact, with an exit velocity that is up to 90.2 miles per hour (88.5 miles per hour in April).

Even if some of these figures are realistically unsustainable, it is still great to see signs of life from McCutchen and know that the first month of the season was a cold streak for him — rather not his new normal.

Phillies lineup shuffle could help Andrew McCutchen.

Before Sunday’s nationally televised matchup with Atlanta, Phillies manager Joe Girardi dropped first baseman Rhys Hoskins from second in the batting order down to seventh, as he’s in the midst of a cold streak. Girardi instead opted to hit second baseman Jean Segura in the two-hole.

The Phillies skipper’s shuffle with the batting order is something that should positively affect McCutchen going forward. In addition to getting Hoskins started again, this should allow McCutchen to see better pitches — as Segura has been smoking hot since coming off the injured last week and will be batting directly behind him.

The Phillies have to hope that this is not just a short-lived hot streak and that McCutchen has truly turned the corner. The stats indicate that he is certainly out of his slump for now. That is a great sign, as the postseason-hopeful Phillies need him to keep setting the tone for the rest of the lineup.