The players with the biggest holes in their swings (none of them are Blue Jays)

[KingKat]

Pretty nice article here that breakdown with hitters have a difficulty with a certain pitch that opponents have successfuly exploited.

 

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2013/8/1/4573564/the-biggest-holes-in-swings-mark-reynolds-pedro-alvarez-denard-span-alberto-callaspo

 

In order of frequency of the pitch:

 

Fourseam: Mark Reynolds (no wonder his slumps are so long if he can't hit the most thrown pitch in baseball)

Sinker: Dernard Span

Changeup: Alberto Callaspo

Slider: Chris Carter

Curveball: Mark Trumbo

[z3r0s]

Pretty nice article here that breakdown with hitters have a difficulty with a certain pitch that opponents have successfuly exploited.

 

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2013/8/1/4573564/the-biggest-holes-in-swings-mark-reynolds-pedro-alvarez-denard-span-alberto-callaspo

 

In order of frequency of the pitch:

 

Fourseam: Mark Reynolds (no wonder his slumps are so long if he can't hit the most thrown pitch in baseball)

Sinker: Dernard Span

Changeup: Alberto Callaspo

Slider: Chris Carter

Curveball: Mark Trumbo

 

 

What about the HIGH fastball... gotta be a Jay on that list

[Dr. Dinger]

Definitely expected to see Carter and Reynolds here.

[Angrioter]

Fastball - Jose Iglesias

[eastcoastjaysfan]

If anyone puts any stock into FG's pitch value system...

 

Since 2010 best/worst:

 

FB:

Votto: 147.28

Kurt Suzuki: -45.7

 

Slider:

Jose Bautista: 39.4

Rajai Davis: -24

 

CB:

Beltre: 20.5

Soriano: -14.2

 

Changeup:

Encarnacion (didn't expect this): 30.9

Alberto Callaspo: -15.4

 

Sinker:

Ryan Braun: 7.5

Carlos Pena: -5.9

 

TL;DR Joey Votto can hit the fastball.

[CHRIS]

Pretty nice article here that breakdown with hitters have a difficulty with a certain pitch that opponents have successfuly exploited.

 

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2013/8/1/4573564/the-biggest-holes-in-swings-mark-reynolds-pedro-alvarez-denard-span-alberto-callaspo

 

In order of frequency of the pitch:

 

Fourseam: Mark Reynolds (no wonder his slumps are so long if he can't hit the most thrown pitch in baseball)

Sinker: Dernard Span

Changeup: Alberto Callaspo

Slider: Chris Carter

Curveball: Mark Trumbo

 

Pitch that bounces in front of plate: JP Arencibia

[KingKat]

If anyone puts any stock into FG's pitch value system...

 

 

 

FB:

Votto: 147.28

 

Man, how faptastic is Votto? I knew a lot of his success came from how his pitch recognition and how selective he is but I didn't know how thoroughly he could murder one particular pitch. His approach is litterally perfect for a player who is better than anyone else at hitting one particular pitch. This is an interesting contrast to say Miguel Cabrera, who hits every kind of pitch equally well. Neither player would find the same succes with the other's approach. Both can recognize pitches like nobody's business but Cabrera has more to gain by swinging and Votto more to gain by being patient. Both are baseball divinity.

[Stangstag]

If anyone puts any stock into FG's pitch value system...

 

Since 2010 best/worst:

 

FB:

Votto: 147.28

Kurt Suzuki: -45.7

 

Slider:

Jose Bautista: 39.4

Rajai Davis: -24

 

CB:

Beltre: 20.5

Soriano: -14.2

 

Changeup:

Encarnacion (didn't expect this): 30.9

Alberto Callaspo: -15.4

 

Sinker:

Ryan Braun: 7.5

Carlos Pena: -5.9

 

TL;DR Joey Votto can hit the fastball.

 

I'm very pleased to see 2 jays on this list.

[Stangstag]

(Excluding Rajai lol)

[KingKat]

J.P. is just equally bad at hitting everything. Probably just missed the cut in each category.

 

Well the article I posted determined the most exploited holes not the biggest weakness per say (although they are obviously related). If J.P. is indeed equally bad at everything than there's no necessity to exploit a hole. It would mean, you could literraly get him out with anything and pitchers in such a scenario would just throw whatever they feel like throwing and not worry about exploiting a hole. I don't really know how JP actually profiles but his problem might not be an inability to put certain pitches in play but rather just an inability to recognize the location of pitches outside of the strike zone regardless of what pitches they are.

[KSaw]

With JPA pitchers just need to avoid throwing fastballs or changes that are middle in and near or above the belt. He is literally weak at hitting everything else. Classic mistake hitter. He has many gaping holes.

[KSaw]

What about the HIGH fastball... gotta be a Jay on that list

 

It's funny you mention the fastball. Not sure it's accurate to say some of these guys can't or don't hit it. A lot of it has to do with being set up on previous pitches for high heat that will get chased for strike 3 or a pop up. Note that V-Mart is listed for 4-seamers and change ups. Clearly he is late identifying them. Ouch!

[KSaw]

A good time and place to bring this goodie back... http://www.baseballprospectus.com/a/19409

[z3r0s]

A good time and place to bring this goodie back... http://www.baseballprospectus.com/a/19409

 

That article was classic

[KingKat]

A good time and place to bring this goodie back... http://www.baseballprospectus.com/a/19409

 

Man I had fogotten about that article. As I read the first part, I got tricked into thinking it was a serious article for the second time. Sam Miller is awesome.