Hitting at the ML Level

[oldtimer]

I have been mulling over the question of how difficult it is to be a hitter in the majors and came up with some thoughts below. How they apply to our guys is hard to say but it is interesting in my view. My thoughts are below:

 

Hitting at the ML Level

 

To become a ML player, a guy has to demonstrate capability in all phases of the game and to go through a gauntlet of competitive play at minor league play along with whatever other play to earn a chance to move up to the majors. That culls out a lot of athletes and leaves a few. Among those are players that have exceptional vision, hand eye coordination and an emotional makeup that allows them to hit a baseball under difficult circumstances. Those that can do the rest and hit are rare individuals, and those who have learned to stay balanced and make a short but hard swing are rarer still.

 

So what do hitters today face while hitting?

4 seam fastballs ranging up to and above 100 mph with movement

2 seam fastballs that tend to sink in the zone

Cut fastballs that bear in on the hitter

Sliders that move away from the hitter

Splitters which look like a fastball but make sudden moves that are generally down

Curveballs which break sharply away from a batter

Forkballs which mover toward and then away from the batter

Knuckle balls which are very unpredictable in their movement

 

ML pitchers may have three or four of these in their arsenal, they can mix them up and those that command them can hit the corners or tempt hitter with balls close to the strike zone. Starters may only be expected to last 6 or 7 innings, at which time a new pitcher is brought in with a new set of pitches, a fresh arm, etc.

 

Pitchers also can be brought in for favorable matchups based on the left handedness, or what statistics reveal is favorable. Since statistics are kept on all hitters, their weaknesses are known by the opposing staffs and become available for exploitation.

Pitchers also use deceptive motions. Side-winding, under-handing, over the top, looking back, hesitation and a bunch of others are used to disrupt the timing and balls thrown at or near the hitter are also options to unsettle the hitter. With some pitchers standing 6’6” or more, their release point is a lot closer to the hitter than the rubber to the plate which leaves only tenths of a second to recognize and get the bat through the zone.

 

The reality is the hitter has to be looking for a pitch and recognize whether it will be a strike or a ball near to the release point. The wonder is that you have guys that make contact enough to carry a 300 or above average, even when the defense on the field is so good. I maintain that guys with a compact swing have the best likelihood of being a consistent hitter, but so much of it is also raw ability, quick reflexes, good hand eye coordination, the ability to stay cool under pressure, that many different styles can be seen being effective.

 

Bottom line: If you have a good hitter, keep him because they are so hard to find.

[Bellhorn04]

Not only is it hard to hit the ball, but once you do there are infielders and outfielders who are quite good at catching it, and now there are also special defensive shifts and alignments based on computer analysis of your hitting patterns!