Tito's right: The Indians really do play worse in the cold

CLEVELAND — If you've been watching the Indians this spring, you may have noticed they struggle to hit in colder games. Indians manager Terry Francona has mentioned the weather while explaining some of the team's early struggles. Outfielder Jake Bauers says when it's cold, every at-bat feels like your first swing of the day.

So we broke down the numbers. Do the Indians hit worse in cold weather?

They sure do.

But that's not all we learned.

Indians average hits
Under 50 degrees: 6.7
50-69 degrees: 7
70+ degrees: 8.6

Indians average runs
Under 50 degrees: 3.67
50-69 degrees: 3.7
70+ degrees: 4.9

The magic number
The magic number for Indians success seems to be 60 degrees. They are an outstanding 11-6 when it's 60 degrees or warmer and a so-so 14-15 when it is colder.

You would assume that it works both ways. However, the Indians also pitch much better when it's warmer.

Opponent hits
Under 60 degrees 8.2
Over 60 degrees 6.1

Opponents runs
Under 60 degrees: 4.4
Over 60 degrees: 2.8

Despite the cold air struggles, the Indians had the most wins ever through April under Terry Francona this season.

Tuesday night's game against Oakland will be cold again, but the forecast for the rest of the week looks to be 70 or warmer, and that's good news for Tribe bats and arms.

RELATED: Indians call up Mercado to help woeful offense