First of all, I suggest you read Jerry Crasnick's story on plate discipline. It's not statistical breakdown or filled with projections, but its more of a discussion about what different players, teams and coaches consider plate discipline and a few other things that they are doing to build it.
A few things I took from it ...
1. There are differing opinions about what plate discipline means to players and teams.
2. It's not just about going up there taking walks, it's about having an approach and swinging at pitches you can hit.
3. That learning this type of approach and plate discipline is the most difficult to do at the major league level, and teams like the Red Sox and A's make sure it starts at the lowest of levels.
4. This line from the story ... Contrary to the popular perception, life as we know it didn't begin with "Moneyball."
Not surprisingly Mariners shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt was mentioned in the story in not the most positive of lights. According to fangraphs, Yuni is swinging at 58.9 percent of the pitches he sees, sometimes I swear it feels like more.
Speaking of Yuni, let's take a look at his at-bats from the Tuesday's game against the Rangers from MLB.com's Gameday software
Four pitches, he swung at three of them -- probably two of the four were strikes.
Four pitches, four swings --- none of them look to be strikes
Two pitches, one swing - both were balls.
Four pitches, two swings -- all four were balls.
And the results --- an 0-for-4 day, 14 pitches, 10 swings, and maybe two or possibly three were actually strikes.
From Wakamatsu about Ronny Cedeno before the game -- "We're definitely going to get him in on this road trip."
Any bets if it is today?
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