QFTDalbec usually performs in spring training. It’s just frustrating he can’t keep it up when it matters sometimes
QFTDalbec usually performs in spring training. It’s just frustrating he can’t keep it up when it matters sometimes
I may have beaten you to it in the game thread. Only thing, I won't admit it's an over-reaction.I’m not afraid to be the first to seriously overreact and cry and whine about Kaleb Ort!
Please, please, please provide a link.Just a reminder that it's spring training for EVERYONE as Met's announcer Ron Darling refers to Marlin's player Jazz Chisholm as Chaz Jism.
https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/11bz2fg/mets_booth_remarks_that_chas_jizzolm_has_never/Please, please, please provide a link.
Even better than I hoped for... that pause of recognition was fantastic.
In reading the comments, this is not the first time Keith Hernandez has made this mistake:
Radhammes Dyckhoff always a faveGood thing this guy is not getting called up anytime soon:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=tucker001f--
My dad always referred to former NYG RB Tucker Fredrickson as “Mr. Tedrickson.”Good thing this guy is not getting called up anytime soon:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=tucker001f--
Article on MLB.com about Bobby D. Twice mentions the same thing you say about his Spring Training performance:Dalbec usually performs in spring training. It’s just frustrating he can’t keep it up when it matters sometimes
"He revamped his swing in the offseason" is probably second to "he's in the best shape of his life" on the spring training stories that don't mean much to me.Article on MLB.com about Bobby D. Twice mentions the same thing you say about his Spring Training performance:
" Bobby Dalbec started what is an important Spring Training for him on Saturday afternoon by hitting two straight rockets. The first one was a hard double to right field. The second was another opposite-field bullet, this one clearing the wall for a two-run homer in a 6-6 tie between the Red Sox and Braves.
The knee-jerk reaction is that Dalbec has ripped the ball in Spring Trainings past and it hasn’t translated.
But a deeper look reveals that Dalbec spent the offseason revamping his swing mechanics, which is allowing him to hit the ball to the opposite field with authority."
...
"Cora has made note of Dalbec’s adjustments, which had been evident in live batting practice sessions all week before the 27-year-old got to showcase it in a Grapefruit League game on Saturday.
“I know everybody is going to say, ‘He rakes in Spring Training,’” Cora said. “But he went [to right field]. He’s not pull side. He stayed on pitches, and he went the other way. So that’s a good sign.”"
Bobby says his swing -- and approach -- changes were brought about by studying Sadaharu Oh.
https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/sadaharu-oh-a-model-for-bobby-dalbec
Tell that to J.D. Martinez."He revamped his swing in the offseason" is probably second to "he's in the best shape of his life" on the spring training stories that don't mean much to me.
Ok, so what do you say that puts the "revamped swing" article batting average at then? Not saying it's impossible for swing changes to help, but just like the "best shape of their life" article, it has zero correlation with improved player performance. Some get better with the article, some get worse, some get better without the article, some get worse.Tell that to J.D. Martinez.
Yep, and plenty of players who revamp their swing over the winter go back to the earlier one by mid-April.Ok, so what do you say that puts the "revamped swing" article batting average at then? Not saying it's impossible for swing changes to help, but just like the "best shape of their life" article, it has zero correlation with improved player performance. Some get better with the article, some get worse, some get better without the article, some get worse.
60% of the time it works every time.Tell that to J.D. Martinez.
Entirely anecdotal but I feel like we spent a lot of time watching Bobby stare down a hittable fastball earlier in the count before going fishing on stuff he couldn’t hit.I cannot find the article but I think it was in the Sunday Globe…
Dalbec said he didn’t change his swing but wanted to work on his approach. He thought he was too mechanical in the batters box.
Swing changes tend to revert back to old swing when thing get dicey. But a change in approach for someone like Dalbec could lead to success…. First change would be to look more fastball. Not supported by data but it feels like he’s always taking a called strike on the high fastball when down 0-1. It’s a high school strategy to always look heat and fight off off speed. Cheat fastball.
There may be room for both. With Mondesi expected to start the year on the IL, the last bench spot might come down to Duran vs Dalbec (assuming Wong, Chang, and Refsnyder are the others).Duran has looked great so far. The 4th OF spot is between him and Refsnyder, right?
What does the "article" have to do with anything? The point is that swing changes can make a difference (e.g., JD). Even if there's zero statistical correlation (which you have not proven), you cannot discount the upper tail of the distribution. I'm not saying that every guy who changes his swing will suddenly be successful at the major league level, anyway. All I'm saying is that there's reason for hope. If hope isn't your thing, then fine.Ok, so what do you say that puts the "revamped swing" article batting average at then? Not saying it's impossible for swing changes to help, but just like the "best shape of their life" article, it has zero correlation with improved player performance. Some get better with the article, some get worse, some get better without the article, some get worse.
And they've both looked really good. That's going to be a tough one.There may be room for both. With Mondesi expected to start the year on the IL, the last bench spot might come down to Duran vs Dalbec (assuming Wong, Chang, and Refsnyder are the others).
He was doing a thing and that thing wasn’t working. Now, he’s going to do a new thing and maybe he will start to have more success because of it. Spring training articles that blow smoke up everyone’s ass are always going to be there and they probably amount to nothing more often than not but you’re completely right, there’s no reason not to wait and see if he’s figured something out. At least he’s trying to change his approach instead of being stubborn.What does the "article" have to do with anything? The point is that swing changes can make a difference (e.g., JD). Even if there's zero statistical correlation (which you have not proven), you cannot discount the upper tail of the distribution. I'm not saying that every guy who changes his swing will suddenly be successful at the major league level, anyway. All I'm saying is that there's reason for hope. If hope isn't your thing, then fine.
Well, Ok. It is interesting, though, that NESN did an in-game bit recently showing the difference between Duran's swing this year vs. last, and how it should help him handle certain pitches better. I think we can all agree with you that being stubborn would be a one-way trip out of the game for Duran.He was doing a thing and that thing wasn’t working. Now, he’s going to do a new thing and maybe he will start to have more success because of it. Spring training articles that blow smoke up everyone’s ass are always going to be there and they probably amount to nothing more often than not but you’re completely right, there’s no reason not to wait and see if he’s figured something out. At least he’s trying to change his approach instead of being stubborn.
Bello threw off a mound and felt good afterwards. They think he'll be fine. I haven't seen anything on the other two beyond Pivetta's taking his time to get back from a bad case of Covid.Any updates Bello, Pivetta, Whitlock?
View: https://twitter.com/IanMBrowne/status/1630268154210398208Any updates Bello, Pivetta, Whitlock?
We get it. You hate Pivetta.Scrolling Twitter for Pivetta updates I mostly just get highlights of people hitting homers off him & stuff about the WBC from a week ago.
Lol I didn't actually mean shade this time, but fair point.We get it. You hate Pivetta.
Well, according to his stats, he saw first pitch fastballs at pretty close to the league average over his career, and the percent of pitches in the zone seems about the same. He just has problems making contact. Over the last 3 seasons he improved his contact rate and cut down on his swinging strikes, but both of those are still considerably below average, and in the process his hard hit rate has plummeted to league average. His barrel % was almost half what it was in his first full season. Last year he was bad because he wasn't driving the ball or making enough contact. So I don't know what he changed about his approach before, and what he is changing now, but I doubt they've told him to just go back to swinging hard and missing most of the time. His out of zone swing percentage has gotten better, but it was never that bad.Entirely anecdotal but I feel like we spent a lot of time watching Bobby stare down a hittable fastball earlier in the count before going fishing on stuff he couldn’t hit.
No shade, but you're posting other team's feeds with highlights of Pivetta shitting himself last season?Lol I didn't actually mean shade this time, but fair point.
But this is the first thing:
View: https://twitter.com/TOR__HR/status/1627888343064186886
Then there's...
View: https://twitter.com/KCRoyals_HR/status/1628758073404964864
View: https://twitter.com/TOR__HR/status/1629535445653794816
View: https://twitter.com/Postssn_hrs/status/1630387314487697409
https://twitter.com/search?q=nick pivetta&src=typed_query
In the general spring training thread no less?No shade, but you're posting other team's feeds with highlights of Pivetta shitting himself last season?
That's what pops up when I tried to find out his health status (that & him dropping out of the WBC for Canada) - I even posted the link to the search I did. I can't help it that this is what the internet wants to post about Pivetta in lieu of updates about his health. I would guess it means he's probably still home sick & away from the team, but hopefully he will obtain a swift and full recovery.No shade, but you're posting other team's feeds with highlights of Pivetta shitting himself last season?
I'll make sure to use the Pivetta home runs allowed videos containment thread next time.In the general spring training thread no less?
Did the internet make you post it?That's what pops up when I tried to find out his health status (that & him dropping out of the WBC for Canada) - I even posted the link to the search I did. I can't help it that this is what the internet wants to post about Pivetta in lieu of updates about his health. I would guess it means he's probably still home sick & away from the team, but hopefully he will obtain a swift and full recovery.
I'll make sure to use the Pivetta home runs allowed videos containment thread next time.
I think the thing that can be read into it is that Duvall isn’t playing the outfield in games yet (much? At all?). So Duran and Rafaela have been getting the time out there.Re: Duran v Dalbec, can anything be read into the fact that Duran has been starting with what looks like the majority of the MLB lineup while Dalbec including tonight has been playing with a Worcester”ie” like lineup or is it just the randomness of spring training?
No. That was probably some form of oppositional defiance in the face of pushback regarding my summary of my Twitter search.Did the internet make you post it?
Dude, that’s beautiful!No. That was probably some form of oppositional defiance in the face of pushback regarding my summary of my Twitter search.
Let me make up for it in the form of 2/9ths of our '26 World Series lineup.
View: https://twitter.com/alexspeier/status/1629224746243043335?cxt=HHwWjsC9scrRlZwtAAAA
The point is, if you can only hit fastballs in the zone, watching any of them go past you without swinging is a bad idea.Well, according to his stats, he saw first pitch fastballs at pretty close to the league average over his career, and the percent of pitches in the zone seems about the same. He just has problems making contact. Over the last 3 seasons he improved his contact rate and cut down on his swinging strikes, but both of those are still considerably below average, and in the process his hard hit rate has plummeted to league average. His barrel % was almost half what it was in his first full season. Last year he was bad because he wasn't driving the ball or making enough contact. So I don't know what he changed about his approach before, and what he is changing now, but I doubt they've told him to just go back to swinging hard and missing most of the time. His out of zone swing percentage has gotten better, but it was never that bad.
https://www.fangraphs.com/players/bobby-dalbec/19966/stats#plate-discipline
I never thought he’d be the August’21 version of himself but there were earlier stretches in ‘21 when a normalized BABIP would have turned him into a consistent .800 high SLG hitter- figuring his defense would improve.The point is, if you can only hit fastballs in the zone, watching any of them go past you without swinging is a bad idea.
Dalbec probably needs to hunt first pitch fast balls until they stop throwing them, and then hunt second pitch fastballs in the 1-0 count.
Dalbec just isn't the type of hitter who can work the count and not strike out far too often. At least if he swings and misses at that first pitch fast cash he gave himself a chance to do something positive.
EDIT: I guess his rookie year got me thinking Dalbec could only hit fastballs, but he crushed curves that year. Last year he could only hit uncategorized pitches well... So only ones that slipped out of the pitcher's hand?
I'm a Dalbec prospect apologist, but he needs to do something right and quickly before he's out of baseball.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/bobby-dalbec-666915?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb
These numbers are probably better than the fangraphs ones I was working from. It really is hard to say he can just lay off this or hunt for that based on his 2020 and 2021 numbers. He hit fastballs and breaking balls, he just whiffed too much all around. Whatever he did last year with his swing reduced his whiff rate on fastballs only but reduced his hard hit rate and exit velocity and made him below average against fastballs. I don't see that as an overall improvement.The point is, if you can only hit fastballs in the zone, watching any of them go past you without swinging is a bad idea.
Dalbec probably needs to hunt first pitch fast balls until they stop throwing them, and then hunt second pitch fastballs in the 1-0 count.
Dalbec just isn't the type of hitter who can work the count and not strike out far too often. At least if he swings and misses at that first pitch fast cash he gave himself a chance to do something positive.
EDIT: I guess his rookie year got me thinking Dalbec could only hit fastballs, but he crushed curves that year. Last year he could only hit uncategorized pitches well... So only ones that slipped out of the pitcher's hand?
I'm a Dalbec prospect apologist, but he needs to do something right and quickly before he's out of baseball.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/bobby-dalbec-666915?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb
IIRC, he was swinging early in the count and out of the zone. So he took more pitches and fell behind a lot. I *think* that was the sort of thing he was referring to when he talks of changing his approach this year.These numbers are probably better than the fangraphs ones I was working from. It really is hard to say he can just lay off this or hunt for that based on his 2020 and 2021 numbers. He hit fastballs and breaking balls, he just whiffed too much all around. Whatever he did last year with his swing reduced his whiff rate on fastballs only but reduced his hard hit rate and exit velocity and made him below average against fastballs. I don't see that as an overall improvement.