The middle infield is considered the defensive anchor for any team. For the 2017 Cincinnati Bearcats, there was certainly some solid defensive play in that area, but the offensive end of the deal was left wanting. A big downgrade in production from Kyle Mottice and less than a full season from Manny Rodriguez meant the unit was largely a group that did the job defensively, but didn’t help much with the lumber.
We’ll start this look by examining Mottice’s disappointing campaign. The junior second baseman had a very solid 2016 season, slashing .278/.329/.351 with eight extra-base hits and 28 runs scored.