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Feb 18, 2019 10:39:49 GMT -5
Post by klaiggeb on Feb 18, 2019 10:39:49 GMT -5
According to an article on the Giant website today, Cameron Maybin worked the entire off season on revamping his swing.
Which got me to thinking. (A dangerous thing to do, I know... .
I'm sure some guy who spends his entire life swimming in the "Sabermetrics" pooling already has the stat for this... but we must lead the league in guys changing, or just recently having changed their swings.
Mac Williams, Austin Slater, Cameron Maybin.
Technically it's only 3, but I'm counting Hunter Pence in this total, too, because he began the change WITH US last year.
That makes my number 4.
In 60+ years of playing, watching, or studying the game, I've never, ever seen anything like this.
And hey! It might work.
Sure worked for Mac.
Pence?
Ehhhh, the jury is still out, but if it can maximize the talents of Slater and Maybin, too, I'm all in.
We'll see.
My fingers are crossed, but we'll see.
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Feb 18, 2019 10:40:19 GMT -5
Post by klaiggeb on Feb 18, 2019 10:40:19 GMT -5
I meant "pool," not pooling.
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Feb 18, 2019 12:28:52 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Islandboagie on Feb 18, 2019 12:28:52 GMT -5
I think "changing their swing" and juicing might go hand in hand. Not for everyone, but I do think when someone comes out and claims they changed their swing it's also a cover for juicing, that way there not red flagged by major league baseball. That's not to say they didnt make adjustments to their swing as well, but I think the biggest adjustment is made on their pharmacy bill. I dont think Pence is juicing, but the other 3 might be suspect.
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Feb 18, 2019 15:02:24 GMT -5
Post by klaiggeb on Feb 18, 2019 15:02:24 GMT -5
Man, boagie, I hope you're wrong.
I really do.
I'd like to see Slater get results like Mac did.
And now that WE have him, same with Maybin, too.
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rog
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Feb 18, 2019 15:40:49 GMT -5
Post by rog on Feb 18, 2019 15:40:49 GMT -5
I think "changing their swing" and juicing might go hand in hand. Not for everyone, but I do think when someone comes out and claims they changed their swing it's also a cover for juicing, that way there not red flagged by major league baseball. Rog -- That's a logical concept, and certainly a guy has to be able to hit the ball hard to take advantage of getting it in the air, but might not MLB simply flag guys who say they are changing their swings automatically, for just the reason you mentioned? If a guy elevates his swing, he'll hit more home runs because he hits more fly balls. If a guy juices and doesn't change his swing, his home runs would have to come primarily because he is hitting the ball harder, not from more fly balls (since there wouldn't necessarily be more). When I think of a guy who changed his swing in order to try to hit more home runs, I think of Yonder Alonso. Yonder bumped his home runs from 5 in 2015 to 28 in 2017 in part because he increased his fly ball percentage from 28% to 43%. Part happened because he did hit the ball harder, and part no doubt happened because he hit the ball harder more often when he hit fly balls. Austin Slater hit the ball hard last season, but when he hit it hard, it was mostly on the ground. Think about the science of the swing. If a batter is swinging level, when he barrels the ball, he is more likely to hit a line drive or hit the ball on the ground. He's swinging level, and the ball is coming in to him on a downward plane. When he elevates his swing, when he barrels the ball, his bat is going up, which means the ball itself is more likely to rise. Interesting comment, Boagie, and your point that juicing can give a batter a better chance to take advantage of an elevated swing is a good one. But juicing without elevating should result in harder hit balls, but not necessarily more fly balls. Read more: sfgiantsmessageboard.proboards.com/thread/5093/#ixzz5futavyKh
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rog
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Feb 18, 2019 15:45:20 GMT -5
Post by rog on Feb 18, 2019 15:45:20 GMT -5
I believe the reason more players are elevating their swings, Boly, is because now the results of their swings can be measured. The precise angles that are best for generating fly balls have been clearly identified. Same with the precise angles for generating line drives.
A batter trying to change his swing can now see swing by swing the precise angle the ball left the bat, as well as the precise velocity. It's more than just, "I got that ball in the air, and I hit it hard." Now it's, I hit that ball right in the middle of the best home run launch angle, and I it was going 103 mph off the bat. That's why the ball carried a long way. Not only that, but the equipment is there to measure not only that it went a long way, but HOW far it went.
More batters are elevating their swings because they're making their changes with rifles rather than shotguns. The concept has been better identified and much better measured.
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rog
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Feb 18, 2019 15:56:59 GMT -5
Post by rog on Feb 18, 2019 15:56:59 GMT -5
I'd like to see Slater get results like Mac did. And now that WE have him, same with Maybin, too. Rog -- Austin his the ball hard; he simply hits it hardest when he hits it on the ground. The swing change could really work for him. Cameron is listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, so he should have the strength and leverage to take advantage of the swing as well. 56% of the balls Cameron has hit in his career have been ground balls. That's not quite at a Manny Burriss level, but it's a lot of ground balls. Austin has hit 62% ground balls, which is even a shade higher than Manny's 61% rate. They might be the two most ground ball prone hitters in Giants history. As I've mentioned, Austin also needs to be more aggressive, and as a Stanford guy, the numbers should make that pretty clear to him. I hadn't looked at it before, but Mac's fly ball percentage has actually declined each of the past two seasons. That might indicate his improved hitting came not from launch angle, but from steroids. Last season Mac's home runs per fly ball nearly doubled in AAA. It wasn't that he was hitting more fly balls, but that he was hitting them harder. That's not damning evidence, but it's worrisome. Read more: sfgiantsmessageboard.proboards.com/thread/5093?page=1#ixzz5fuxkvAaK
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