Something to take into consideration, which I'm sure will be diluted, minimized, downplayed, diminished, and pooh poohed ( phew...that's all I could think of right now), is simply, the shift. The shift that has absolutely killed guys like Agon, Puig, even Grandal somewhat, etc. Many others, who made a living hitting up the middle, and with hard stuff through and over, between first and second. BAs have fallen everywhere, and it's not going away.
Excellent point. I haven't looked at the data, but that's my perception as well. So many balls that would normally be hits right into the gloves of defenders.
Yeah the Sabre stat geeks have gotten inside the talking heads at ESPN, Fox and others and now routinely cite stats about which team is more or less likely to employ shifts and then 1 out v. 2 out and base runner v. empty paths. Not that I buy into 'all' of the Sabre stats, can't abide by made up quotients, but in the larger picture IF you are a stat loving kind of a sports fan these next few years are going to get interesting. Time to bring back Willie Keeler... in a big way
Geek FO has visual stats of thousands of AB's and wants to use laser pointers to tell outfielders where to stand to maximize outs per type of pitch while we used to have to read a batters hips to have insight into where the ball might be headed. Then the Geeks file with MLB to be allowed to instruct defender mid inning with the same data points we gained by playing and paying attention. Participation trophy era players need told I guess. I dunno.
One guy, just one guy, with bat control like Keeler is your batting champion. Probably, if a player could, a line drive about 20 feet high that lands between 2nd and the CF is indefensible. So far anyway, until the "short fielder" lobby takes hold in 2020. The roaring mouse of the proposal to have two players on EACH SIDE of 2b has seemed to die a silent death. But it would help some, I believe. "
but there's a way to beat the shift hit it where they're not ted williams would hit .400 against any shift they attempted to employ
Fuck it. Cyberball 2020. Just use humanoid drones in the field so all hitters can DH. Of course next will come the Kershaw 9000 pitching machine that you can start everyday and the best lineup of Harperbots money can buy.
My initial reaction here is that if the shift were all that effective the league BA would soon drop below .200. The shift is employed to take advantage of hitters who are not capable controlling the bat to hit the ball where they want it, the good hitters will adjust to the shift and make the defense play them in a more conventional alignment. Now, if you employ the shift in tandem with a pitcher with plate control like Greg Maddux...well, it's gonna be a bad day for hitters. I read a piece on Maddux once that said he backed off the mound one day and looked lost in thought. Bobby Cox went out and said, 'what's the matter, you wanna put this guy on?" Maddux looked at him and said "no, I'm gonna waste pitch and then foul him out to 3rd". Cox says 'ok'. Two pitches later the 3rd baseman was trotting back to the dugout with the pop foul in his glove.
Timetable for Pederson’s return remains unknown by Matthew Moreno | Dodger Blue — 96 minutes ago While plenty of attention has been given to the Los Angeles Dodgers being without Clayton Kershaw, and deservedly so, starting center fielder Joc Pederson is also on the 15-day disabled list. Like Kershaw, Pederson was placed on the DL on July 1, with his stint retroactive to June 29. After crashing into the center field wall at Miller Park on a catch to rob Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Chris Carter of extra bases in the eighth inning, Pederson remained down on the ground and grabbed at his right shoulder. He was immediately removed from the game and sent for X-rays. They came back negative and the Dodgers diagnosed the 24-year-old with a bruised AC joint. After minimal improvement, Pederson received a cortisone shot that was going to render him unavailable for multiple days, which prompted the DL stint for what was upgraded to a sprained AC joint Although there hasn’t been much concern over severity of the injury, it’s not known when Pederson will come off the DL. “After the break [Pederson will return],” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Friday. “As far as how soon after the break, uncertain. He hasn’t swung a bat yet, he’s moving around, he’s in Arizona. The soreness has dissipated but when he comes back is uncertain.” Pederson hit .236/.328/.476 with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, 33 RBIs, a .341 wOBA and 116 wRC+ in 75 games this season. He’s second on the team in doubles and home runs, and third in wOBA and wRC+. Trayce Thompson has assumed center-field duties with Pederson unavailable, making nine consecutive starts prior to sitting Friday night. The Dodgers called up Andrew Toles for the second of their four-game series, who spelled Thompson in what was his Major League debut.
Pederson's new approach gets the Utley’s seal of approval by Jerry Crasnick | ESPN Senior Writer — 6 hours ago Joc Pederson has spent his second season in the Los Angeles Dodgers' outfield rediscovering the form that made him a National League All-Star in 2015, before opposing pitchers began preying upon his weaknesses and his numbers took a massive turn south. In the course of his revival, he has attained a status that transcends statistical production. He has earned the coveted Chase Utley seal of approval. Utley, a connoisseur of hitting and one of the most respected players in the game, remembers during a disabled-list stint last summer watching video and being thoroughly impressed by the backspin Pederson generated and the way the ball jumped off his bat with authority. Now that they're in the same lineup, Utley sees Pederson adding some subtle touches that bode well for his staying power. "Something is definitely clicking," Utley said. "I think he's kind of turned the corner. He's got better pitch recognition now, and when he hits the ball, it's scary. It takes off, big time. "You can't teach that at all. It's just something he naturally has." Pederson, a former hot prospect, has been a major contributor to a potent offense that has vaulted the Dodgers past the San Francisco Giants into first place in the National League West. Over his last 22 games, Pederson is hitting .364 (24-for-66) with 15 runs scored, eight doubles, five homers and 16 RBIs. In the process, he has helped turn what could have been a problem area into a team strength. The Dodgers' outfield had all the makings of a portrait in chaos this season. Yasiel Puig hit .260 with seven homers in 277 at-bats to earn a trip to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he annoyed the brass with some embarrassing Snapchat party videos last week. In June, the Dodgers released Carl Crawford and assumed the $35 million left on his contract, and Andre Ethier has yet to play a game after suffering a fracture right tibia in spring training. PEDERSON HANDLING THE HEAT Joc Pederson has thrived this season while doing a much better job of hitting fastballs. ________2015_____2016 BA______.214_____.316 OBP_____.360_____.414 SLG_____.424_____.613 Pederson's turnaround, coupled with Howie Kendrick's successful transition to left field, has brought stability to the Dodgers' outfield and fortified the batting order. His positive strides are a reflection of some soul-searching forced upon him by a difficult learning curve. After logging a .178/.317/.300 post-All-Star Game slash line last season, Pederson knew he couldn't survive without some adjustments. "I'm really big on mechanics and hitting position," Pederson said. "When I get to a good position, I feel more comfortable. It definitely helps having some time in the big leagues and understanding you don't need to do everything in one day. "I made some mechanical changes to get my body in good hitting position. I'm on plane a lot better now, and I'm able to maintain some good posture and have a good bat path. It's huge. I sucked last year, and I had to change it and work hard and put in a lot of time to figure it out. I'm not where I want to be, but it's encouraging to see the improvement." A big part of Pederson's success is simply putting the ball in play. He has reduced his swinging-strike percentage from 14 to 9.6 and raised his contact rate from 66.7 to 77.8 percent this season. As Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs points out, that ranks among the biggest improvements in contact rate in the past 15 MLB seasons. "We all understand that when Joc puts the bat on the baseball, it comes out hot," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "To me, it boils down to taking balls and swinging at strikes. That's what he's doing." Pederson, an inveterate tinkerer, needs to work to harness his energy and stick to a consistent game plan. One Dodger watcher counts at least six different approaches and/or batter's box placements for Pederson this season. In addition, discerning fans who watch Pederson in the outfield will notice that he never stands still. After each pitch, Pederson will turn his head and take a few steps toward the center-field fence. Then he'll turn back to the plate and slowly walk in as the pitcher is in middelivery. He might want to invest in a fitness tracker to calculate his steps. "Nolan Arenado is the same way in Colorado," said a National League scout. "He makes you nervous just watching him before the ball is pitched. Yet he's very enjoyable once the ball is pitched." The same scout categorizes talk of bat paths and swing planes as "jargon" and attributes Pederson's resurgence to factors in and out of his control. Pederson has four hits in a mere 38 at-bats against left-handers this season, and he typically sits in favor of Enrique Hernandez against tough lefties. He has also spent most of this season batting sixth, seventh or eighth in the order after logging 311 plate appearances in the leadoff spot as a rookie. Beyond the usage patterns, Pederson has done a better job of using the entire field and refraining from trying to jack every pitch into the seats. "I saw it this year in spring training," the scout said. "He's showing more discipline at the plate, and he's not just trying to 'turn and burn' on balls. It's a natural progression. People saw it in the past, but the question was, 'How much is he going to stick with it?' He's locked in right now. He looks good." In the clubhouse before games, Pederson is a perpetual motion machine. When he's not walking from his locker to the lounge to the trainer's room in a pair of shorts and a No. 24 Los Angeles Lakers jersey, or taking early swings in the cage, Pederson might camp out with teammates Adrian Gonzalez, Rob Segedin and Justin Turner for a friendly game of cards. If only the results were as impressive as his hitting. "He needs some work on his pluck," Turner said, laughing. "It's great for me, because all his money goes right into my pocket." The stakes will be considerably higher as Pederson and his teammates gear up for the final six weeks of the regular season. If Pederson can cash in on his potential and help lead the Dodgers to a postseason share, everyone will have reason to celebrate.
