Reading's Cameron Perkins is getting a kick from his new batting stance
READING -- Corner outfielder Cameron Perkins has added a kick to his batting stance and he has seen positive results for the Reading Fightin Phils.
Perkins slumped at the beginning of the season and has come around lately around the same time the adjustments were made.
"They implemented a leg kick in my swing about three or four weeks ago and I am still working on it," Perkins said. "It is still in the trial and error phase and I am getting more comfortable with it."
Perkins is batting .258 with a career high eight home runs. He also has 29 RBI in 190 at-bats and a .769 OPS.
While these aren't eye-popping statistics, they are vastly improved after a difficult start, when Perkins hit .206 with no home runs in April. He batted .255 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in May and in June he is hitting .364 with three home runs and six RBIs and a 1.201 OPS.
"It's not like I am doing a whole bunch different," Perkins said. "I have the little leg kick in my swing, but I always felt I had the ability to drive the ball."
Perkins is a rarity in that he doesn't wear batting gloves.
"I feel the bat better with no batting gloves," he said. "…If I put on batting gloves, it feels like I am holding a tree trunk up there."
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Perkins, who was a sixth round draft choice in 2012 from Purdue, turns 25 in September. He began last season at Reading and after hitting .342 in 52 games, was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Perkins slumped with the IronPigs, batting .216 with two home runs and 17 RBIs in 255 at-bats.
He says he doesn't worry about being back in Double-A.
"All I can do is focus on going out there and playing hard every night and trying to win," he said. "The rest will take care of itself."
