Young O's hitters need to find right level of aggressiveness

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

July 11, 2020, 11:12am

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In Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle, the Orioles have two homegrown players with a lot of offensive talent. Hays was a finalist in 2017 for Baseball America's National Player of the Year in the minors. Mountcastle was the organization's Minor League Player of the Year last season when he was also the International League MVP.

Besides having in common youth and an abundance of talent, they are both aggressive hitters that have lower walk rates. In Double-A in 2018, Hays' walk rate was 4.2 percent of all plate appearances. Mountcastle was at 6.1 percent. Last season in Triple-A, Hays and Mountcastle were both at 4.3 percent, although Hays' walk rate was 9.3 percent in September with the Orioles in 75 big league plate appearances.

On the Orioles last year, a walk rate of 4.2 or 4.3 percent would have topped only Hanser Alberto (at 2.9 percent) among hitters with 150 or more plate appearances.

I asked O's hitting coach Don Long about these two young hitters and their aggressiveness. Pretty sure he doesn't wanted to reign that in to search for more walks and take away something they do well. At the same time, big league pitchers can take advantage of overaggressive young batters.

"We want all of our guys to be aggressive and ready to hit," said Long. "The term we use is: always ready, never in a hurry. And what I mean by that is we have to understand what part of the strike zone we're good at and we have to attack the pitcher based on our strengths, especially before two strikes.

"And I think that when guys are talented and they're coming up in the minor leagues, it's a little more forgiving. At this level, it's a little less forgiving. If they identify an area they can throw to, especially if it's out of the strike zone and they can get you to swing and basically get yourself out, then there is something we have to improve upon. And the best way to improve upon that is to really understand what you're good at. Once you understand that and you become disciplined in staying within what you're good at, then you're able to take the pitches that you are not successful with in locations you are not successful with."

So the young duo - and any young hitters, really - has to make sure they don't expand the zone and swing at only strikes. And especially those strikes they can really do damage with, especially early in the count.

"We never want any hitter to lose their aggressiveness," said Long. "But we want them to learn to be aggressive under control, meaning they are ready to hit every pitch that's in their area of strength until their eyes tell them no. We don't want guys up there just hacking away and hoping for the best. It's a combination of being aggressive, but having the discipline to stay within your strength and let everything else go.

"It's a daily challenge. It's a mental challenge. I've seen guys in the past who start expanding their strike zone when they have been successful. They feel invincible like they can hit anything, so they start expanding. And I've also had guys over the years who are so enamored with a base hit that they'll swing at anything to get a base hit. So it's striking a balance between aggressive and being disciplined and under control."

The new extra-inning rule: During Saturday's Zoom interview with manager Brandon Hyde, I asked him his opinion on the extra-inning rule coming for the 2020 season. At the beginning of each half-inning, a runner will be placed at second base to increase scoring chances with the goal of ending games sooner and avoid the 15- and 16-inning marathons.

"Good question. I've never seen it," Hyde said. "I haven't been in the minor leagues to see it and didn't see it in the World Baseball Classic. I know there is a lot of mixed reaction to it. I'm looking forward to seeing it and see how it works. I think this is the year to try stuff. And I think it's going to be a nice experiment to see how it plays out.

"I'm a little bit more traditional. I do like extra innings. But if this is something creative to create more fan interest and to save pitching, which I'm all about, yeah, we'll see. I can't give an opinion because I've never seen it before."

The rule was used the last two years in the minor leagues and did have the desired effect. Games ended in the first extra inning the last two seasons on the farm 73 percent of the time. According to Baseball America, in 2016-2017, there were 133 games that went 13 innings or more. In 2018-19, there were just five with the new rule in place.

I recently wrote more on the rule here.

A few more notes: The home team beat the visitors 3-0 in a six-inning intrasquad game last night at Camden Yards. Check here for my story as Wade LeBlanc threw five scoreless innings and Rio Ruiz hit a two-run homer. You can watch below as Adley Rutschman drew the first of his two walks and Ruiz put a smooth swing on his home run.

Also there was a report Saturday afternoon that the Orioles have offered free agent outfielder Yasiel Puig a contract. In 149 games last season between Cincinnati and Cleveland, he batted .267/.348/.475 with 30 doubles, 24 homers, 19 steals, 76 runs, 84 RBIs and an OPS of .785.

For his career, his numbers are .277/.348/.475 with an OPS of .823. He finished second for the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2013 with the Dodgers.

Are the O's showing interest because they are currently down three outfielders, with Trey Mancini out for the year and Dwight Smith Jr. and Anthony Santander not yet seen on the field during camp? Would Puig be a trade chip if they signed him?