I'll agree with this 100%. I think we have identity issues with our offense. In 2015 and 2016, we had a lineup full of guys who could hit and drive the ball. No need for small ball. Now, we don't have a team full of big power guys so we try to bunt and steal from time to time and we are just not effective when trying to lay down a bunt. Pick one or the other and go with it. If you want power hitters, have guys put on some weight and lift like Mitchell Nau (who actually lost a lot of fat but put on a lot of muscle) between 2014 and 2015.cevans_40 said:
I think most of our issues are approach/mental. We are not consistent in anything we do. Sometimes we try to be an aggressive power hitting team, then we try small ball, then we are try to be aggresive on the bases, then we play it safe. Certain game situations dictate a different approach but it would be nice to have an identity.
Hitting the ball !!!!!!!!
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Aggies2009 said:I'll agree with this 100%. I think we have identity issues with our offense. In 2015 and 2016, we had a lineup full of guys who could hit and drive the ball. No need for small ball. Now, we don't have a team full of big power guys so we try to bunt and steal from time to time and we are just not effective when trying to lay down a bunt. Pick one or the other and go with it. If you want power hitters, have guys put on some weight and lift like Mitchell Nau (who actually lost a lot of fat but put on a lot of muscle) between 2014 and 2015.cevans_40 said:
I think most of our issues are approach/mental. We are not consistent in anything we do. Sometimes we try to be an aggressive power hitting team, then we try small ball, then we are try to be aggresive on the bases, then we play it safe. Certain game situations dictate a different approach but it would be nice to have an identity.
Probably can't fix hitting for power during the season but it's worth it if it's possible. Can practice bunts and stealing. Bunts are repetition. Stealing not so much.
I call BS on this!powerbelly said:
I think it is mostly talent, but it seems several players regress the longer they play at A&M
What I hate seeing is really bad base-running. We seem to be ultra-conservative from 1B to 2B for some reason. Then, when we are at 3B with no outs, or 1 out, we make some boneheaded decision on a weak dribbler, and try to get home, being thrown out by as much as 15 feet. Then the next guy up hits a stand up double. We just screwed ourselves out of an easy run. This makes no sense.
Couple that with weak situational hitting and then we start to fall apart at times. I missed the Coleman brothers in the lineup this week because they have shown to be above average difficulty to get out for opposing pitchers, in the games I have seen. To be honest, I miss guys like Boomer, who had a hunger to hit in critical situations, to the point where I would claim he hated to get walked and you could see him visibly upset in the rare times he failed to do his job, as soon as he failed. He was laser focused on moving the runner, making contact. I see that some from Shewmake at many at bats. He knows his at bat is crucial, when it is.
Good pitching beats hitting, that happens. But while some of our guys really put together quality at bats, maybe with nothing to show for it, others swing at the first 3 that come out of their hand and walk back to the dugout like no one was counting on them in that situation.
How do our multi-year starters bat over a 3 or 4 year span? Do their BAs tend to slide in our program, or do they improve as they get older and stronger? I would hope for the latter, but it may be the former. I wish I had time to go dig that out. Look at the likes of Choruby, Banks, Nacquin, Greene, Jancha, Barrash, Nau, Allemand, etc Guys that were 3 or 4 year starters. Do they trend towards improving or worsening? Just curious. Also, since those are the names that stick out to me, maybe they were the hitters with more natural talent to begin with and didn't need a lot of coaching to hit when in key spots (also why they would be 3 or 4 year starters).
Couple that with weak situational hitting and then we start to fall apart at times. I missed the Coleman brothers in the lineup this week because they have shown to be above average difficulty to get out for opposing pitchers, in the games I have seen. To be honest, I miss guys like Boomer, who had a hunger to hit in critical situations, to the point where I would claim he hated to get walked and you could see him visibly upset in the rare times he failed to do his job, as soon as he failed. He was laser focused on moving the runner, making contact. I see that some from Shewmake at many at bats. He knows his at bat is crucial, when it is.
Good pitching beats hitting, that happens. But while some of our guys really put together quality at bats, maybe with nothing to show for it, others swing at the first 3 that come out of their hand and walk back to the dugout like no one was counting on them in that situation.
How do our multi-year starters bat over a 3 or 4 year span? Do their BAs tend to slide in our program, or do they improve as they get older and stronger? I would hope for the latter, but it may be the former. I wish I had time to go dig that out. Look at the likes of Choruby, Banks, Nacquin, Greene, Jancha, Barrash, Nau, Allemand, etc Guys that were 3 or 4 year starters. Do they trend towards improving or worsening? Just curious. Also, since those are the names that stick out to me, maybe they were the hitters with more natural talent to begin with and didn't need a lot of coaching to hit when in key spots (also why they would be 3 or 4 year starters).
Class of '93 - proud Dad of a '22 grad and a '26 student!
greg.w.h said:Aggies2009 said:I'll agree with this 100%. I think we have identity issues with our offense. In 2015 and 2016, we had a lineup full of guys who could hit and drive the ball. No need for small ball. Now, we don't have a team full of big power guys so we try to bunt and steal from time to time and we are just not effective when trying to lay down a bunt. Pick one or the other and go with it. If you want power hitters, have guys put on some weight and lift like Mitchell Nau (who actually lost a lot of fat but put on a lot of muscle) between 2014 and 2015.cevans_40 said:
I think most of our issues are approach/mental. We are not consistent in anything we do. Sometimes we try to be an aggressive power hitting team, then we try small ball, then we are try to be aggresive on the bases, then we play it safe. Certain game situations dictate a different approach but it would be nice to have an identity.
Probably can't fix hitting for power during the season but it's worth it if it's possible. Can practice bunts and stealing. Bunts are repetition. Stealing not so much.
Reading pickoff moves vs delivery to the plate as well as reading balls in the dirt can and should be worked on throughout the season.
Of the guys you mentioned,Aggieangler93 said:
What I hate seeing is really bad base-running. We seem to be ultra-conservative from 1B to 2B for some reason. Then, when we are at 3B with no outs, or 1 out, we make some boneheaded decision on a weak dribbler, and try to get home, being thrown out by as much as 15 feet. Then the next guy up hits a stand up double. We just screwed ourselves out of an easy run. This makes no sense.
Couple that with weak situational hitting and then we start to fall apart at times. I missed the Coleman brothers in the lineup this week because they have shown to be above average difficulty to get out for opposing pitchers, in the games I have seen. To be honest, I miss guys like Boomer, who had a hunger to hit in critical situations, to the point where I would claim he hated to get walked and you could see him visibly upset in the rare times he failed to do his job, as soon as he failed. He was laser focused on moving the runner, making contact. I see that some from Shewmake at many at bats. He knows his at bat is crucial, when it is.
Good pitching beats hitting, that happens. But while some of our guys really put together quality at bats, maybe with nothing to show for it, others swing at the first 3 that come out of their hand and walk back to the dugout like no one was counting on them in that situation.
How do our multi-year starters bat over a 3 or 4 year span? Do their BAs tend to slide in our program, or do they improve as they get older and stronger? I would hope for the latter, but it may be the former. I wish I had time to go dig that out. Look at the likes of Choruby, Banks, Nacquin, Greene, Jancha, Barrash, Nau, Allemand, etc Guys that were 3 or 4 year starters. Do they trend towards improving or worsening? Just curious. Also, since those are the names that stick out to me, maybe they were the hitters with more natural talent to begin with and didn't need a lot of coaching to hit when in key spots (also why they would be 3 or 4 year starters).
Choruby- Hit .154 in 2015, .294 in 2016, and .321 in 2017
Banks- Hit .327 in 2014, .364 in 2015, and .280 in 2016 (the year he got hurt)
Naquin- Hit .244 in 2010, .381 in 2011, and .378 in 2012
Greene- Hit .344 in 2009, and .395 in 2010
Janca- Hit .231 in 2016, .261 in 2017, and .240 in 2018
Barash- Hit .238 in 2015 and .324 in 2016 (was only here 2 years)
Nau- Ht .220 in 2012, .185 in 2013, .274 in 2014, and .370 in 2015
Allemand- Hit .277 in 2012, .250 in 2013, .290 in 2014, and .339 in 2015
You have to factor in a few things. Between 2012 and 2013, we joined the SEC and faced better pitching. Between 2010 and 2011, not only did the bats change, we got a new hitting coach. And between 2014 and 2015, we got a new hitting coach and the balls changed.
Choruby progressed tremendously in his 3 years here.
Banks got better and better and slid in 2016, likely due to injury.
Naquin, who people used to criticize every time he saw the field in 2010, improved tremendously when Sawyers arrived and kept that performance up in spite of the bats becoming weaker.
Brodie Greene got better his senior year (no stats available before 2009 that I can find).
Janca went from bad to decent back to bad, although in 2018 he did better vs SEC pitching.
Barash was here 2 years and jumped almost 100 points in his average during that time in spite of getting hurt in 2016.
Nau struggled every year and when Coach Bolt arrived he jumped 100 points in his average.
Allemand was okay and then jumped up 50 points in his average when Coach Bolt arrived.
Everyone is quick to criticize Will Bolt but they forget what a turnaround we had from 2014 to 2015 across the board. I'm not sure what's gone "wrong" in that time span, but for guys who were here during that transition period, all of them improved under Bolt.
A few guys like Blake Stouffer, Luke Anders, and Kyle Colligan all felt like they did really well but regressed their Senior years. That was 10 years ago, though, so I dunno what factors went into that.
Thanks for looking that up. I like when we look at stats rather than feelings.
I still wonder if someone has a way to look at team OPS for the last 20 years.
I still wonder if someone has a way to look at team OPS for the last 20 years.
While we are looking for sabermetrics, I'd also like to see both our and opponent WHIP if it's available. Don't think you can analyze one without at least a sensation on the other. ERA unfortunately is a bit subjective and too run focused to directly evaluate pitching.
Talent. I look at our roster year in and year out and from a hitting perspective we've not had more than a handful of talented hitters on our roster at any one time. I don't think we're getting the kids we need to in order to be a good hitting club.
I've always been curious on a college level exactly how they conduct batting practice normally? Is it like pre-game where a pitcher just lobs in pitches for them to drive out of the park or do they really ever practice batting (like in scrimmages) where the batter is facing a pitcher throwing hard off of a mound with certain base running situations or counts? When I played ball through high school we never had practices where we got to see real game conditions (including sharp sliders or breaking pitches) where the ball was coming off a mound with the hitter being forced to learn how to react and hit at game speed.
Pardon my ignorance as someone who never played organized baseball, but at this level aren't all kids pretty much what they are as far as hitting goes?
I mean, I know a little about elite youth baseball, travel teams, etc. Everyone on a SEC roster was most likely playing at the absolute highest level as a 12-18 year old. Sure, they can get bigger/stronger/faster in college, but at this point how much can "coaching" really transform a hitter?
I mean, I know a little about elite youth baseball, travel teams, etc. Everyone on a SEC roster was most likely playing at the absolute highest level as a 12-18 year old. Sure, they can get bigger/stronger/faster in college, but at this point how much can "coaching" really transform a hitter?
cevans_40 said:
I think most of our issues are approach/mental. We are not consistent in anything we do. Sometimes we try to be an aggressive power hitting team, then we try small ball, then we are try to be aggresive on the bases, then we play it safe. Certain game situations dictate a different approach but it would be nice to have an identity.
This is exactly what I meant about sometimes playing small ball and sometimes not.
If coaching didn't help hitters the Major Leagues wouldn't have hitting coaches.
NoahAg said:
Pardon my ignorance as someone who never played organized baseball, but at this level aren't all kids pretty much what they are as far as hitting goes?
I mean, I know a little about elite youth baseball, travel teams, etc. Everyone on a SEC roster was most likely playing at the absolute highest level as a 12-18 year old. Sure, they can get bigger/stronger/faster in college, but at this point how much can "coaching" really transform a hitter?
I completely overhauled (it was probably a minor change but felt like a total redo to me) my swing between my freshman and sophomore year of college and became a much better power hitter. I had trouble getting to an inside pitch and after the change, it became a strength. Not enough of a strength to overcome my terrible 60 time and my inability to hit a change up, but I did improve a great deal.
85AustinAg said:
Talent. I look at our roster year in and year out and from a hitting perspective we've not had more than a handful of talented hitters on our roster at any one time. I don't think we're getting the kids we need to in order to be a good hitting club.
I think this is a result of our lack of identity. If we made a commitment to becoming an aggressive hitting team vs a pitching and defense team, we would be a more attractive program to the top hitters.
That being said, pitching still win championships. It is tough to balance with scholarship limitations but that is why we pay good money for a coach to figure it out.
Good info. Yeah, that was a rough junior season for Janca. Feel like he was headed for a good year coming off a red-hot summer on the cape. Dealt with some tough injuries off and on all last season, just kept playing with them and did finish stronger during SEC play. Interesting though, Janca did have a better fielding percentage every season than any of our current players at 3B, and not a significant difference in batting average. Janca, Choruby and Barash were my kids favorite players during those years. Always took time to sign autographs and thank them and their friends for coming to the games.
Oh yeah. Janca was a great guy and he had some clutch hits like the HR vs Davidson or the triple in the Sunday game against LSU that scored 2 runs in a game we won 3-1.Billy Heywood said:
Good info. Yeah, that was a rough junior season for Janca. Feel like he was headed for a good year coming off a red-hot summer on the cape. Dealt with some tough injuries off and on all last season, just kept playing with them and did finish stronger during SEC play. Interesting though, Janca did have a better fielding percentage every season than any of our current players at 3B, and not a significant difference in batting average. Janca, Choruby and Barash were my kids favorite players during those years. Always took time to sign autographs and thank them and their friends for coming to the games.
Janca was replaced his freshman year with Austin Homan who hit better but was a liability in the field.
Isn't Ty Coleman's BA over .300, though?
.277 conference, .288 overall, not bad for a freshmanAggies2009 said:Oh yeah. Janca was a great guy and he had some clutch hits like the HR vs Davidson or the triple in the Sunday game against LSU that scored 2 runs in a game we won 3-1.Billy Heywood said:
Good info. Yeah, that was a rough junior season for Janca. Feel like he was headed for a good year coming off a red-hot summer on the cape. Dealt with some tough injuries off and on all last season, just kept playing with them and did finish stronger during SEC play. Interesting though, Janca did have a better fielding percentage every season than any of our current players at 3B, and not a significant difference in batting average. Janca, Choruby and Barash were my kids favorite players during those years. Always took time to sign autographs and thank them and their friends for coming to the games.
Janca was replaced his freshman year with Austin Homan who hit better but was a liability in the field.
Isn't Ty Coleman's BA over .300, though?
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greg.w.h said:Aggies2009 said:I'll agree with this 100%. I think we have identity issues with our offense. In 2015 and 2016, we had a lineup full of guys who could hit and drive the ball. No need for small ball. Now, we don't have a team full of big power guys so we try to bunt and steal from time to time and we are just not effective when trying to lay down a bunt. Pick one or the other and go with it. If you want power hitters, have guys put on some weight and lift like Mitchell Nau (who actually lost a lot of fat but put on a lot of muscle) between 2014 and 2015.cevans_40 said:
I think most of our issues are approach/mental. We are not consistent in anything we do. Sometimes we try to be an aggressive power hitting team, then we try small ball, then we are try to be aggresive on the bases, then we play it safe. Certain game situations dictate a different approach but it would be nice to have an identity.
Probably can't fix hitting for power during the season but it's worth it if it's possible. Can practice bunts and stealing. Bunts are repetition. Stealing not so much.
A&M is near the bottom of the SEC in steals. The issue is that there is no identity because there's no strength on the team to call an identity.
Very good post . . . the one where you showed the progress that individual batters made across the years.
Hop said:greg.w.h said:Aggies2009 said:I'll agree with this 100%. I think we have identity issues with our offense. In 2015 and 2016, we had a lineup full of guys who could hit and drive the ball. No need for small ball. Now, we don't have a team full of big power guys so we try to bunt and steal from time to time and we are just not effective when trying to lay down a bunt. Pick one or the other and go with it. If you want power hitters, have guys put on some weight and lift like Mitchell Nau (who actually lost a lot of fat but put on a lot of muscle) between 2014 and 2015.cevans_40 said:
I think most of our issues are approach/mental. We are not consistent in anything we do. Sometimes we try to be an aggressive power hitting team, then we try small ball, then we are try to be aggresive on the bases, then we play it safe. Certain game situations dictate a different approach but it would be nice to have an identity.
Probably can't fix hitting for power during the season but it's worth it if it's possible. Can practice bunts and stealing. Bunts are repetition. Stealing not so much.
A&M is near the bottom of the SEC in steals. The issue is that there is no identity because there's no strength on the team to call an identity.
And you can't fix that during the season and largely individual players decide on their own what their own identity is and then get guided from there.
If we don't have an identity as a team, it's a coaching problem. If you can't tell what the identity is of individual players is possibly a work problem or it's a recruiting problem. If player skills decay during tenure it could be a coaching or a work problem.
Bad defense is just laziness.
How many games over the past years have been lost as a result of silent bats and/or poor base running decisions ?
Just a question.
Just a question.
it is.
80% of hitting is 20% mental.
all of them. some of them. a few of them. none of them.
take your pick.
take your pick.
at practice vs on your own.
on your own.....one on one with coach, grad assistant......not sure of current rule allowances.
in practice.
4 stations more or less.
left field cage, live home plate, right field cage. or two left field cages....whatever.
left field cage 1....short toss, tee work example.
right field cage 2. pitching machine working situational. bunt, hit n run, man on second...man on third etc..
live home plate. typical pre game bp set up.
then shag/react at position for 4th station.
maybe each station runs 30 minutes....hitters rotate.
so technically that practice would run 2 hours.
mix in conditioning for 15 minutes......out of there in 2 or so hours.
on your own.....one on one with coach, grad assistant......not sure of current rule allowances.
in practice.
4 stations more or less.
left field cage, live home plate, right field cage. or two left field cages....whatever.
left field cage 1....short toss, tee work example.
right field cage 2. pitching machine working situational. bunt, hit n run, man on second...man on third etc..
live home plate. typical pre game bp set up.
then shag/react at position for 4th station.
maybe each station runs 30 minutes....hitters rotate.
so technically that practice would run 2 hours.
mix in conditioning for 15 minutes......out of there in 2 or so hours.
gone are the days you'll see a tom goodwin or kt and knobby tyner type steal numbers.
can't remember last time I've seen 20-30 bags stolen stat line.
can't remember last time I've seen 20-30 bags stolen stat line.
Boomer White says hello.chester said:I call BS on this!powerbelly said:
I think it is mostly talent, but it seems several players regress the longer they play at A&M
Class of 1992
It's a combo problem IMO....
Talent, coaching and approach
Will frizzell
2018- .295
2019- .215
Wingate
2018- .302
2019- .171
DeLoach
2018- .264
2019- .162
H Coleman
2017- .283
2018- .247
2019- .240
A Walters
2018- .263
2019- .219
Chandler Morris
2018- .282
2019- .192
Logan Foster
2017- .280
2018- .314
2019- .300
Talent, coaching and approach
Will frizzell
2018- .295
2019- .215
Wingate
2018- .302
2019- .171
DeLoach
2018- .264
2019- .162
H Coleman
2017- .283
2018- .247
2019- .240
A Walters
2018- .263
2019- .219
Chandler Morris
2018- .282
2019- .192
Logan Foster
2017- .280
2018- .314
2019- .300
powerbelly said:
I think it is mostly talent, but it seems several players regress the longer they play at A&M
Does a program exist where every player gets better every year with no exceptions?
TxA&Mhunter said:
It's a combo problem IMO....
Talent, coaching and approach
Will frizzell
2018- .295
2019- .215
Wingate
2018- .302
2019- .171
DeLoach
2018- .264
2019- .162
H Coleman
2017- .283
2018- .247
2019- .240
A Walters
2018- .263
2019- .219
Chandler Morris
2018- .282
2019- .192
Logan Foster
2017- .280
2018- .314
2019- .300
We should hire back the hitting coach that got those numbers for those guys last year
Below is a quick OPS analysis since we entered the SEC:
I think the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 declines are worth paying attention to.
I think the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 declines are worth paying attention to.
Thanks for spending the time. I also remember a marked uptick when Bolt first got here. I was really happy to see it at the time.
Class of '93 - proud Dad of a '22 grad and a '26 student!
Sort of? Some of those are just because the player registered no stats in 2018 which is why they dropped. Jorge went to 0 because he was academically ineligible, not because Bolt is a bad coach... And Shew, like Banks, got hurt last year and regressed. He's doing much better this season despite a very slow start
Also consider guys like Schoenvogel only had 20 something at bats. In one of those years. Not really a good indicator of hitting ability...
Also consider guys like Schoenvogel only had 20 something at bats. In one of those years. Not really a good indicator of hitting ability...
Aggieangler93 said:
Thanks for spending the time. I also remember a marked uptick when Bolt first got here. I was really happy to see it at the time.
We all were. Hitting so many HRs and such... How many games did we come back and win due to extra base hits? I remember trailing to Dartmouth 3-0 before hitting two 2-run HRs in the 8th. And a few doubles to come back against Pan Am. Also a HR or two to come back and beat Rice which had their fans openly accusing our team of taking steroids due to how quickly we went from hitting hardly any HRs to routinely hitting for extra bases.
This year's team just doesn't seem to get many extra base hits, especially in situations like bases loaded with nobody out.
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