There is hope to be had
Of course, there is always a sliver-lining to everything and this is no different. Russell’s sliver-lining comes in the form of his 2016 season. Granted, Russell logged many more at-bats during 2016 than he did in 2017 (213 more), but his 2016 numbers jump off the page.
In 2016, Russell was placed lower in the line-up, logging 183 at-bats in the five hole and 181 in the seven hole. Batting fifth, Russell hit just .240 and recorded a .295 OBP. However, he clubbed 11 home runs and had a slugging percentage of .470.
With men on-base in 2016, Russell came to bat 275 times. In that time, he slashed .265/.342/.458 with 12 home runs. While Russell hit just .218 with runners in scoring position and two outs, he slashed .251/.325/.461 with men in scoring position and less than two outs. To go along with that, Russell hit at a .391 clip with the bases loaded.