Which is why Jones will hit grounders to Russell for about 10 to 15 minutes before a game.
"It's something I know I have to do," Russell said. "I know I feel more confident going into the game if I take ground balls before the game. Batting practice doesn't really make a difference to me. I really like to get at shortstop, move the feet around, go left to right, practice a few drills, and then I feel good going into the game."
Defensively, Russell leads all NL shortstops in zone rating (.873), and he is seventh in fielding percentage (.