I started this just because of the disaster that was NY Giants Football last night. I opened a few Giants threads and commented but want to stay away.
So Chapman looked great last night. Best command I've seen all season. What ever the pitching coaches did, they straightened him (and his fastball) out.
Betances - I noticed he had several pitches where he sped up his delivery. Not that I know pitching mechanics, but having seen Betances throw for a few years, I could see that he rushed the ball home. Kind a like, you can see something is not right, but you don't know what it is. He is just out of sorts.
Judge - it is time for him to recognize that he will be getting sliders outside the zone(low and away) on 75% of the pitches he sees. He might want to try laying off that 1st pitch unless it is in a specific place..how many times does he get behind 0-2 swinging at crap low and away? It kills him. Also, go with the pitch if you are swinging at a low and away one. Seems that he is getting most of the right side open between 1st and 2nd because of the shift and still trying to pull that pitch... He is too good of a hitter to constantly swing at garbage. I think he has a realistic capability of being a .300 hitter.
Time to start thinking of the post season roster.. who makes it and who does not. Going to be a few disappointed players.
And Gary smacks one too. no outs first and third.
15-3
Yep. And let's not forget, next season we have the call-ups of Gleyber Torres and Chance Adams to look forward to.
I also have strong hopes that, over time, he will learn to use his lower half. A swing that includes the legs and hips stays in the hitting zone longer, keeps the bat in contact with the ball longer, has more time to put the bat in motion, has better plate coverage, and has less tendency to pull off the ball. All of that also means less tendency to swing at pitches well out of the strike zone.
Will he ever have a Greg Bird swing? Highly unlikely. But over the next couple of years, I expect that he will develop a much more mature swing--he's a smart kid, who wants to learn. And, I am confident that he knows that getting the lower half into the swing will make him a better hitter overall. If that happens, the outcome could be really amazing. No reason to think of him as a .280 hitter when he really matures. I expect that even by next season, he will come back with improved technique.
By the way, he has been quoted saying that Greg Bird is the best hitter on the team. So, he knows what swing he wants to emulate in germs of technique.
If anybody isn't getting the lower half involved, it's Bird. And I think it's contributed to his struggles. Some of that is injury related though.
And Judge really was quoted in the NY Post as saying that Bird is the best hitter on the team. And, I expect Judge to learn to get his lower half properly engaged, over time. He will strike out a lot less when he does.
Link - ( New Window )
Hey mg - I don't have a current email for you, but I'm at the same place as always. Shoot me an email.
Whenever this season ends, I'm going to want to fast forward right to spring training to get things going again. Very exciting times.
And Judge really was quoted in the NY Post as saying that Bird is the best hitter on the team. And, I expect Judge to learn to get his lower half properly engaged, over time. He will strike out a lot less when he does.
Judge is always going to give credit to others first. He is Jeter-esque that way. He may decrease on K's a bit but he's always going to be a heavy three outcomes player. And that's fine. Give me that .400 OBP with 40+ HR any day.
I don't see it with Bird. don't get me wrong, I like the player. But nobody has gotten more hype out of a few good weeks two years ago than this kid. Two seasons essentially lost now. It's got to happen next season or the Yankees might be inclined to move on. No matter how much Jessie Jackson likes his swing :)
Anyway, since Phil mentioned that tweet, I went to RAB's twitter to see what Judge actually said, and found this.
hahahaha
Plus, it's Torres insurance. We can also DH one of the extra OF everyday, keeping Frazier's glove in the field.
I don't think we'll need a traditional DH next year with the surplus OF.
He sees a ton of pitches. Can't undervalue that...
What return are you thinking?
SP? Prospects?