I believe if you watch our hitters, they have the bat speed/strength to hit with power to all fields and can hit the 500-foot "majestic Moon Shot" (they use to call some of Wally Moon's homeruns Moon Shots) when they pull a pitch and get all of it. However, I believe they don't have to pull everything to go yard and still hit a 340-foot to 400-foot homerun or double to the wall. I believe they let their egos get the best of them--they want to see it fly.

I realize athletes have changed, in that the 5' 10" to 6' 0" 180 lbs. baseball player these days is rather small and skinny (typical size back in the day) compared to the 6' 2" to 6' 5" 220 lbs. DUDES of today's game (of the 37 players listed on the roster, only seven are under 6' 0").

Having the mindset of hitting to all fields, you can cover both sides of the plate. Typically, pull hitters can't cover the outside half of the plate.

With two strikes, (IMHO) they should have the mindset of "hitting fastball to opposite field" from a "timing" aspect, slowing down their swing (this allows them to see the ball a split second longer). Their main focus is to put the ball in play--move the line forward and at the very least, DO NOT STRIKE OUT.

I've said in other posts, it's like some of our hitters want to go up with the bases empty, and they're sitting inside fast ball (regardless of count), trying to pull everything (i.e., even the outside pitch and off-speed) and wanting to hit an 8-run home run 800 feet. On an inside pitch, you will naturally pull off (pull away from) the plate a bit on your swing. But when you are sitting "pull" on everything, you're pulling off the plate on the outside strike and off-speed, and missing, or hitting the weak ground ball to the shortstop.

As Sorrell's saw yesterday when he stayed out over his toes/balls of his feet (not pulling off), he had the ability to "stay on" the ball on the outside pitch and went yard to left field. Those additional two runs was a needed cushion at that moment of the game.

What this also does is make the other team have to play defense "straight up."

jmho.

What??

This is totally going to change my time in the shower.

yeah, but it's not that easy to just "stay over the ball". with very few exceptions, everyone is coached to drive the ball up the middle and keep the barrel through the zone as long as possible. it's easy to practice on a tee or soft-toss, but game speed is a different beast. trying to get your hands inside of a fastball, just to have it break away will make fools of most mortals and have it look (TV view) like you tried to "pull it" when you were simply trying to make a play on the middle-third of the plate. jmo

edit- i didn't mean to use the bored emoji - my bad

The problem is you are talking fundamental baseball in the era of computer algorithms.

Baseball knowledge says slow down and protect with 2 strikes, computer says swing for the fensmce because you have a 40% better chance of scoring if you hit a hr vs just get on base and a strikeout costs the same as a ground out so swing hard you mighty batter, swing hard.

Boomer mentioned something about the original post last night.

At least Gavin has recently shown his willingness and ability to hit to right or center fields especially with 2 strikes.

Strike One said:

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At least Gavin has recently shown his willingness and ability to hit to right or center fields especially with 2 strikes.

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They all need to when they have 2 strikes.

You're hunting your pitch with less than two strikes.

You cover the entire strike zone with 2 strikes.

You can do damage with more than the pull side of the field.

I agree you're hunting "a" pitch, although maybe not "your" pitch. You're likely eliminating one side of the plate and probably looking for a specific shape.

If we were hunting middle in fastballs against Byrd last night that explains why we didn't do s***against him because he threw none. So you were either walking or sitting with 2 strikes before you changed your approach.