Could Eric Hosmer "break out" as a power hitter?

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Interesting piece from Fangraphs about Hosmer's power potential with some quotes from an interview he did with Travis Sawchick.

On launch angle:

“That’s kind of the new theory. You’re always taught to hit fastballs out in front and let the breaking ball get deeper,” Hosmer said of his experience. “That new swing path, the new style is completely different. You want to hit fastballs out in front and hit breaking balls a little deeper. You want your barrel to come up through the ball. It’s different from… swinging down on it. It’s a different approach as far as getting the barrel to the ball and getting on plane as soon as possible.”

After resisting the idea of getting the ball in the air, Hosmer said he has explored making tweaks to his swing.

“There were a of couple times where I worked with [Martinez] and Robert, his guy,” Hosmer said. “J. Wash [Padres assistant hitting coach Johnny Washington] is a guy here who preaches the same thing.

“I think it’s a great way of hitting. I think the mechanics and thought process is definitely different than what everyone grew up learning. To an extent, I am trying to make an adjustment in how my path works in attacking the ball, but to go back to the drawing board and start from scratch, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do.”

He's not an analytics guy, so I'm not sure how much patience he'll have with trying out tweaks to his swing. But he's got the potential to be a more consistent power hitter:

What the numbers say is if Hosmer could trade in some ground balls for line drives and fly balls he’d be a better player. That is true for about every hitter, yes, but particularly for Hosmer, who has above-average raw power and near elite contact ability. There is some Daniel Murphy in his profile. This isn’t so much about “modern analytics” as it is about improving a process.

The whole thing is worth a read.

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

You’re always taught to hit fastballs out in front and let the breaking ball get deeper,” Hosmer said of his experience. “That new swing path, the new style is completely different. You want to hit fastballs out in front and hit breaking balls a little deeper."

Also known as "The Other Operation"?