For Kelly Johnson, the difference between 2010 and 2011 is like going from driving a Cadillac to driving a Kia. A year ago on May 1 he was riding high. Johnson was named the National League Player of the Month for April. He led the league with 9 home runs, 17 extra base hits, and a .750 slugging percentage. At the end of April this season those numbers were 3, 8, and .320 respectively. An for 3 performance on Sunday dropped his season average to .175 (18-for- 103),
A season ago Johnson put up career bests in hits (166), home runs (26), RBI (71), stolen bases (13), slugging percentage (.496), and OPS (.865). So far this season he has looked more like the player that hit .224 for Atlanta in 2009.
The Diamondbacks have few options but to continue to pencil Johnson into the starting lineup and hope that he breaks out of his season-long slump. Johnson has started 25 of the Diamondbacks 27 games at second base. In the two years prior to last season, Johnson had also struggled in April. In the 2008-09 seasons he combined to hit just .220 (33-for-150) but rebounded to hit .326 (60-for-184) in those years. Johnson has hit in the 1 (4), 2 (20), or 3(1) spot in the order in all of his starts. With a .261 on-base percentage and a .311 slugging percentage, it remains to be seen how long Kirk Gibson can continue to bat Johnson at the top of the order. It could be that it is time to let the second baseman try to find himself batting in the seven or eight spot. Keep an eye on the batting order when the Rockies come to town on Tuesday.
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