Napoli: 'I Don't Feel Too Comfortable'

[PaulinMyrBch]

 
Red Sox Stats ‏@redsoxstats  4m4 minutes ago
Over his last 800 PA Mike Napoli is a .227/.341/.393 hitter.
 

I blocked that account a while ago. Didn't even want to accidentally see their stuff. 
 
I think it was because they were using a BABIP stat on a few games of data early in the season. On a stat that stabilizes at 800+ AB, if they didn't understand how to use that, what's the use. 

 

[BosRedSox5]

I was absolutely convinced that Napoli's offseason surgery would make him a better player. If a guy puts up a 3-4 WAR every year while also never having had a full night's sleep then it would stand to reason that he'd be even better following a surgery to correct sleep apnea, but he's been terrible this season. Are the two connected? Maybe the subtle changes to his face have slightly changed the way he sees and reacts to the ball?

 

[Apisith]

What are his batted ball profiles like? Is he still hitting it hard? Or is the power just gone?

 

[Rovin Romine]

I was absolutely convinced that Napoli's offseason surgery would make him a better player. If a guy puts up a 3-4 WAR every year while also never having had a full night's sleep then it would stand to reason that he'd be even better following a surgery to correct sleep apnea, but he's been terrible this season. Are the two connected? Maybe the subtle changes to his face have slightly changed the way he sees and reacts to the ball?

 
I also thought Napoli was going to have a good year. I think the most simple explanation is the major surgery disrupted his training and routine to the extent that he wasn't able to get ready for the season.  (Although that's somewhat belied by his good spring training.)   Somewhere in this thread there's a link to an article showing side by side swings from 2014 Nap and 2015 Nap.  They look like completely different players. 

 

[absintheofmalaise]

You can find that link in here. Along with other articles about Napoli.

 

[pjheff]

I also thought Napoli was going to have a good year. I think the most simple explanation is the major surgery disrupted his training and routine to the extent that he wasn't able to get ready for the season.  (Although that's somewhat belied by his good spring training.)   Somewhere in this thread there's a link to an article showing side by side swings from 2014 Nap and 2015 Nap.  They look like completely different players.

That was my thought as well. Now I'm wondering if the surgery was a desperation move after his decline in the second half of last season, hoping that the problem was simply wearing down due to insufficient rest. Unfortunately, it does not seem to have addressed the true cause of his slowing bat, and with four games against his nemesis the Angels, facing three lefty starters, Nap may be making his last stand with the Sox.