The Book of Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio. Hey darreon welcome Back. You have found or returned to the Book of Joe. Most interesting baseball podcast on the planet with Me, Tom Berducci and Joe Madden. Joe, you know, around here we love originals. We don't like sheep, so to speak, the ones that just follow the herd. So later on we're going to get into we lost another rock and roll original pioneer. You're down with me on this or this concept, right, We like original thinkers.

The Book of Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio. Hey darreon welcome Back. You have found or returned to the Book of Joe. Most interesting baseball podcast on the planet with Me, Tom Berducci and Joe Madden. Joe, you know, around here we love originals. We don't like sheep, so to speak, the ones that just follow the herd. So later on we're going to get into we lost another rock and roll original pioneer. You're down with me on this or this concept, right, We like original thinkers.

Always, you know, tell me what you think, now, what you've heard. That's one of my first lines back in the day with the Rays. I put it on a sweatshirt. At that point, it was like two thousand and five, six whatever. I was concerned with the fact that everybody's regurgitating everything, and even today I think it's gotten even worse. But I really prefer the person that does me what they think, not what they've heard. And I think in today's world, most of what we hear from other people under the assumption or the way they want to present it as though it's something that they've thought of, that they an original thought. It's not. It's something that they've heard, So tell me what you think, not what you've heard.

Always, you know, tell me what you think, now, what you've heard. That's one of my first lines back in the day with the Rays. I put it on a sweatshirt. At that point, it was like two thousand and five, six whatever. I was concerned with the fact that everybody's regurgitating everything, and even today I think it's gotten even worse. But I really prefer the person that does me what they think, not what they've heard. And I think in today's world, most of what we hear from other people under the assumption or the way they want to present it as though it's something that they've thought of, that they an original thought. It's not. It's something that they've heard, So tell me what you think, not what you've heard.

I love that line and we will get to the rock and roll portion of this show in a minute. But first I want to talk to you, Joe about another one of your passions, and that's hitting. And I know you've done a lot of hitting instruction all the way over to Europe and in the minor leagues. Our subject here with hitting today is when good hitters go bad. And listen, it happens to everybody. Everybody goes into a slump at some point. But in this twenty twenty four baseball season, we are now almost fifty games into this season, so you're starting to see something that to me sounds more like a trend than a slump. Usually slumps don't last two months. But I want to talk to you, Joe about and your thoughts about slumps and when good hitters are slumping specific and there's a bunch of guys. I think I've got about eight guys who's slugging percentage is down more than one hundred and fifty points this year, and we'll dive into what the heck is going wrong with some of these guys. First of all, your thoughts on when good hitters slump. Is it something you just don't worry about at all because they have track records, or does it get your attention?

I love that line and we will get to the rock and roll portion of this show in a minute. But first I want to talk to you, Joe about another one of your passions, and that's hitting. And I know you've done a lot of hitting instruction all the way over to Europe and in the minor leagues. Our subject here with hitting today is when good hitters go bad. And listen, it happens to everybody. Everybody goes into a slump at some point. But in this twenty twenty four baseball season, we are now almost fifty games into this season, so you're starting to see something that to me sounds more like a trend than a slump. Usually slumps don't last two months. But I want to talk to you, Joe about and your thoughts about slumps and when good hitters are slumping specific and there's a bunch of guys. I think I've got about eight guys who's slugging percentage is down more than one hundred and fifty points this year, and we'll dive into what the heck is going wrong with some of these guys. First of all, your thoughts on when good hitters slump. Is it something you just don't worry about at all because they have track records, or does it get your attention?

Depends if there's an injury involved, or if there is age involved, then it would get my attention. If there's no injury in age is not necessarily involved, then it doesn't so much get my attention. So that's it. In other words, of a guy still you know, relatoly young, and you know, still got the thing going on, and he's not been hurt. I'm pretty patient with that, and I think we're going to figure this out. He's going to come out of it. However, if something has happened over the last year, a dramatic difference in how he moves. Again, just the age consideration. Is he coming off an injury or has he got an injury that he's really not Nobody really knows about it. Think chronic that's something an annoying then then you know it could it could be something more lasting in today's game. I'm not so sure about. I mean, that's I'm sure of that, but then there might be an added layer of We've talked about this a lot. The analytical component of the game where hitters have had no advantages at all with the analytics that have been put forth. I'll argue that with anybody that could talk about all the different videos and machines and getting up there and hitting and the machine throws something comparable to Greg Maddox as you're watching before the game begins, and I don't think that has any really lasting substance to it, because the pictures have so much know what the hitter does not do well with, and that's what they're attacking, and then they're attacking it with like their pictures are being formed at the point where there's even more break, greater velocity, more movement, and again they're they're there, well, they'll they'll prefer just walking you as opposed to giving in on any account either. So there's there's so much advantage to a pitcher in today's game over a hitter, just in regards to preparation and then when it comes down to physical ability. So I think all these things are conspiring to make it difficult.

Depends if there's an injury involved, or if there is age involved, then it would get my attention. If there's no injury in age is not necessarily involved, then it doesn't so much get my attention. So that's it. In other words, of a guy still you know, relatoly young, and you know, still got the thing going on, and he's not been hurt. I'm pretty patient with that, and I think we're going to figure this out. He's going to come out of it. However, if something has happened over the last year, a dramatic difference in how he moves. Again, just the age consideration. Is he coming off an injury or has he got an injury that he's really not Nobody really knows about it. Think chronic that's something an annoying then then you know it could it could be something more lasting in today's game. I'm not so sure about. I mean, that's I'm sure of that, but then there might be an added layer of We've talked about this a lot. The analytical component of the game where hitters have had no advantages at all with the analytics that have been put forth. I'll argue that with anybody that could talk about all the different videos and machines and getting up there and hitting and the machine throws something comparable to Greg Maddox as you're watching before the game begins, and I don't think that has any really lasting substance to it, because the pictures have so much know what the hitter does not do well with, and that's what they're attacking, and then they're attacking it with like their pictures are being formed at the point where there's even more break, greater velocity, more movement, and again they're they're there, well, they'll they'll prefer just walking you as opposed to giving in on any account either. So there's there's so much advantage to a pitcher in today's game over a hitter, just in regards to preparation and then when it comes down to physical ability. So I think all these things are conspiring to make it difficult.

All right, what we're gonna do is we're gonna look at individual hitters. I'm talking star hitters too, whose numbers are way down, and I'll give you some some numbers that maybe give us a clue to what's going on, and you can give me your thoughts about whether there's concern or not. And I'm gonna start with the guy who's got the biggest drop in slugging percentage from last year to this year. And it's shocking to me because he was the MVP of the World Series in the ALCS. Corey Seeger slugging percentage is down two seventy two. Check this out, Joe Against four seam fastballs, Corey Seeger is really struggling. He's hitting a buck forty three with one seventy one slugging percentage on four seam fastballs. His slugging on force seemers last year was six fifteen. Now, he did have an injury, you know, before spring training, a little bit late getting started. Maybe that's got something to do. But Corey Seeger ken hit a four seam fastball, What the heck's going on?

All right, what we're gonna do is we're gonna look at individual hitters. I'm talking star hitters too, whose numbers are way down, and I'll give you some some numbers that maybe give us a clue to what's going on, and you can give me your thoughts about whether there's concern or not. And I'm gonna start with the guy who's got the biggest drop in slugging percentage from last year to this year. And it's shocking to me because he was the MVP of the World Series in the ALCS. Corey Seeger slugging percentage is down two seventy two. Check this out, Joe Against four seam fastballs, Corey Seeger is really struggling. He's hitting a buck forty three with one seventy one slugging percentage on four seam fastballs. His slugging on force seemers last year was six fifteen. Now, he did have an injury, you know, before spring training, a little bit late getting started. Maybe that's got something to do. But Corey Seeger ken hit a four seam fastball, What the heck's going on?

Especially elevated I mean for a left handed hit, or he could really get to an elevated fastball. He kind of lays back on his back side and gives you that little bit of an upper swing to even an elevated fastball. What's going on? That is really curious. You did mention somewhat of an injury, then the next thing, I'm just you know, Other than that, he's definitely not old coming off of a long year. I mean, there's still a little bit of a World series residue I think floating around. I always argue that that is a concern or a problem. That's why it's so difficult for teams to repeat. So is he attaching himself to information? Maybe he's looking sophomore often it sounds like that to me a little bit. He's afraid to commit to the fastball. Possibly is he being fed all this kind of stuff. That just be a curiosity thing for me. If in fact that, or if he's trying to change something within this way for whatever reason, somebody may come up to him and say, listen, you should try this. You're gonna be even better. And that's I've seen that happen also, And sometimes we try to get too smart. So just grasping around trying to figure it out. I would say I'd be interested to see if any of those things were in play, because listen, he is that good. I walked in with the basis loaded a couple of years ago he was that hot, that good, that whatever. So I would bet there's something bothering him that's not permitting him to get to the fastball right now. Whatever the injury was, number one, number two, he's got to He might be sitting sophomore. Maybe he thought he thinks he's gonna get pitched too softly, and he's in the maybe mode, and there's it gonna be fastball, he's gonna be a breaking ball. And if you're sitting soft, then it comes at you hard. It's hard to catch up. So I'd be curious. But for me, there might be several different reasons why he's in this particular juncture.

Especially elevated I mean for a left handed hit, or he could really get to an elevated fastball. He kind of lays back on his back side and gives you that little bit of an upper swing to even an elevated fastball. What's going on? That is really curious. You did mention somewhat of an injury, then the next thing, I'm just you know, Other than that, he's definitely not old coming off of a long year. I mean, there's still a little bit of a World series residue I think floating around. I always argue that that is a concern or a problem. That's why it's so difficult for teams to repeat. So is he attaching himself to information? Maybe he's looking sophomore often it sounds like that to me a little bit. He's afraid to commit to the fastball. Possibly is he being fed all this kind of stuff. That just be a curiosity thing for me. If in fact that, or if he's trying to change something within this way for whatever reason, somebody may come up to him and say, listen, you should try this. You're gonna be even better. And that's I've seen that happen also, And sometimes we try to get too smart. So just grasping around trying to figure it out. I would say I'd be interested to see if any of those things were in play, because listen, he is that good. I walked in with the basis loaded a couple of years ago he was that hot, that good, that whatever. So I would bet there's something bothering him that's not permitting him to get to the fastball right now. Whatever the injury was, number one, number two, he's got to He might be sitting sophomore. Maybe he thought he thinks he's gonna get pitched too softly, and he's in the maybe mode, and there's it gonna be fastball, he's gonna be a breaking ball. And if you're sitting soft, then it comes at you hard. It's hard to catch up. So I'd be curious. But for me, there might be several different reasons why he's in this particular juncture.

Yeah, and good point about the sort of year after a for World champions World Series teams that next year really do get off the gate slowly. You've lived at Joe, You've seen it with a couple of teams. It just it to me. It's happened so many times. I do think it's real. I think it's more of a mental letdown than anything. Maybe there's something physical with pitchers. You can pitch you know that seventh month, but it's a real big deal. I remember Terry Francona after the sixteenth season, where his team played during the World Series. He talked about the mental grind that you play that month of baseball. Every game is exciting, that the crowds are filled, every pitch counts, and then you come back to next year, and not that you're not trying hard, but the amount of energy and the mental focus just isn't there, especially when you're playing games in April and May. You know, it's a long season. The crowds aren't as big. You know, losses aren't as crucial as they are in October. It's just a little bit of a mental letdown. So you know, listen, Texas is hanging in there right around five hundred. They should be better. No one's running away with that division, so they're in good shape. But we've seen this happen a lot.

Yeah, and good point about the sort of year after a for World champions World Series teams that next year really do get off the gate slowly. You've lived at Joe, You've seen it with a couple of teams. It just it to me. It's happened so many times. I do think it's real. I think it's more of a mental letdown than anything. Maybe there's something physical with pitchers. You can pitch you know that seventh month, but it's a real big deal. I remember Terry Francona after the sixteenth season, where his team played during the World Series. He talked about the mental grind that you play that month of baseball. Every game is exciting, that the crowds are filled, every pitch counts, and then you come back to next year, and not that you're not trying hard, but the amount of energy and the mental focus just isn't there, especially when you're playing games in April and May. You know, it's a long season. The crowds aren't as big. You know, losses aren't as crucial as they are in October. It's just a little bit of a mental letdown. So you know, listen, Texas is hanging in there right around five hundred. They should be better. No one's running away with that division, so they're in good shape. But we've seen this happen a lot.

Yeah, that's that's all part of it. You're absolutely right. Yeah.

Yeah, that's that's all part of it. You're absolutely right. Yeah.

Now I want to move on to another guy who strangely is having trouble with fastballs, and it's Ronald Acunya Junior. His slugging percentage is down two hundred and fifty four points, and I looked at the numbers. He's actually seeing more fastballs he's gone from fifty eight percent to sixty five percent. That's a really high number. Sixty five percent fastballs in today's game, only two home runs off heaters and a three twenty three slug against heaters. Last year it was like seeinger over six hundred and Last year Ronald did a great job. He cut his strikeout rate almost in half. Well that's not the case this year. The strikeouts are way up for Ronald Cunya Junior. He has not got going yet. He still has ways to impact the game. We know that. Am I worried about Ronald Acunya Junior. No, He's one of the most talented players in the game. But again, Joe, it's odd for me to see a guy getting fed fastballs and he's not really doing damage with them.

Now I want to move on to another guy who strangely is having trouble with fastballs, and it's Ronald Acunya Junior. His slugging percentage is down two hundred and fifty four points, and I looked at the numbers. He's actually seeing more fastballs he's gone from fifty eight percent to sixty five percent. That's a really high number. Sixty five percent fastballs in today's game, only two home runs off heaters and a three twenty three slug against heaters. Last year it was like seeinger over six hundred and Last year Ronald did a great job. He cut his strikeout rate almost in half. Well that's not the case this year. The strikeouts are way up for Ronald Cunya Junior. He has not got going yet. He still has ways to impact the game. We know that. Am I worried about Ronald Acunya Junior. No, He's one of the most talented players in the game. But again, Joe, it's odd for me to see a guy getting fed fastballs and he's not really doing damage with them.

This I agree. I mean I've seen that. You know, it happened to Mike Trot a little bit too when I was there also that. And again I think this is the residue of this analytical scouting that occurs, and then how it's being passed on to the pitchers. As you know historically, you know, you went off the advanced scout down and a way up and in they say you know, throw the ball down and away, break the ball up and in fastball, move them off the plate. Blah blah blah. And that was kind of a generic scot report given back then. But now you can be a lot more specific. Now if if Seger's late on a fastball, and if Acuna is late on a fastball, they're going to see fastballs. In the past, historically they're not only because they are who they are. So a pitchers and a catcher is not going to believe that we could just keep throwing fastballs by these guys. We got to throw something else. You speed up their bat, you throw something soft, you throw a breaking ball, striking all of a sudden poom, there it goes. And you can not convince yourself as a catcher or a pitcher that it was the right thing to do, in other words, to keep throwing this sky fastballs, this prolific hitter. But now you can validate that until they both show that we're going to start catching up the velocity. And then even more specifically with velocity, what velocity are they not getting ninety four, ninety five, ninety six, whatever, And who are my pitchers that particularly night, whether it's started or relieve it could be that specific to be fed to the picture catcher during the course of the game. So I think all of these things are in play. All these factors are in play. Until these guys start turning fastballs around, they're going to keep seeing them. And again I think it's because of the way scouting occurs now. You can be so specific pitchers all the advantage where with the throw and where to throw at defense, where to stand hitters reactionary. These hitters are probably dying for a break and ball strike to be able to feel that they could catch up to it. They ain't gonna see it. They're not going to see it till they prove they can hit the fastball.

This I agree. I mean I've seen that. You know, it happened to Mike Trot a little bit too when I was there also that. And again I think this is the residue of this analytical scouting that occurs, and then how it's being passed on to the pitchers. As you know historically, you know, you went off the advanced scout down and a way up and in they say you know, throw the ball down and away, break the ball up and in fastball, move them off the plate. Blah blah blah. And that was kind of a generic scot report given back then. But now you can be a lot more specific. Now if if Seger's late on a fastball, and if Acuna is late on a fastball, they're going to see fastballs. In the past, historically they're not only because they are who they are. So a pitchers and a catcher is not going to believe that we could just keep throwing fastballs by these guys. We got to throw something else. You speed up their bat, you throw something soft, you throw a breaking ball, striking all of a sudden poom, there it goes. And you can not convince yourself as a catcher or a pitcher that it was the right thing to do, in other words, to keep throwing this sky fastballs, this prolific hitter. But now you can validate that until they both show that we're going to start catching up the velocity. And then even more specifically with velocity, what velocity are they not getting ninety four, ninety five, ninety six, whatever, And who are my pitchers that particularly night, whether it's started or relieve it could be that specific to be fed to the picture catcher during the course of the game. So I think all of these things are in play. All these factors are in play. Until these guys start turning fastballs around, they're going to keep seeing them. And again I think it's because of the way scouting occurs now. You can be so specific pitchers all the advantage where with the throw and where to throw at defense, where to stand hitters reactionary. These hitters are probably dying for a break and ball strike to be able to feel that they could catch up to it. They ain't gonna see it. They're not going to see it till they prove they can hit the fastball.

So Corey Seeger has the biggest decline in slug this year, Ronald Cuney Junior, fourth biggest and fifth biggest. And it's a similar story here is Corbyn Carroll down two hundred and forty six points on flug. And I'll go back to your point, Joe about the scouting reports. Last year. He had a great year, is no question about it. But he did have a hole at the top of the zone on fastballs and they're preying upon that for this year, Corvin Carroll's hitting one seventy against fastballs. Now, it's interesting he knows that. And recently he talked about how his stroke had become and his words, too flat, which I had not heard before, but it's an interesting concept, and trying to get on top of the fastballs, he was flattening out his stroke. And when you think about it, in the old Ted Williams theory that the path of your bat should be matching the path of the pitch. If it is too flat, you're not going to get it. You know, it's got to be a little bit of uprise to that path, even at the top of the zone. But Corvin Carroll has worked trying to have his swing get back to where it was and not. He thinks he overcompensated because he knew he was getting all these high fastballs and he, as he said, flattened it out too much, which I had not heard before. Interesting to me.

So Corey Seeger has the biggest decline in slug this year, Ronald Cuney Junior, fourth biggest and fifth biggest. And it's a similar story here is Corbyn Carroll down two hundred and forty six points on flug. And I'll go back to your point, Joe about the scouting reports. Last year. He had a great year, is no question about it. But he did have a hole at the top of the zone on fastballs and they're preying upon that for this year, Corvin Carroll's hitting one seventy against fastballs. Now, it's interesting he knows that. And recently he talked about how his stroke had become and his words, too flat, which I had not heard before, but it's an interesting concept, and trying to get on top of the fastballs, he was flattening out his stroke. And when you think about it, in the old Ted Williams theory that the path of your bat should be matching the path of the pitch. If it is too flat, you're not going to get it. You know, it's got to be a little bit of uprise to that path, even at the top of the zone. But Corvin Carroll has worked trying to have his swing get back to where it was and not. He thinks he overcompensated because he knew he was getting all these high fastballs and he, as he said, flattened it out too much, which I had not heard before. Interesting to me.

Well, yeah, and what that does then it opens up to a lot of other stuff. Now you're saying he's missing the basketball. But if you get too flat left handed hitter from a right handed pitcher, you're really got a huge hole underneath you. That breaking ball at your back foot really becomes problematic. So you try to do fix one thing, and the other thing kind of opens up. Erstad Darren was hot two hundred and forty hits one year. His hole was down and in a little because his swing was so flat, but he could back spin. Wow, he could backspin a baseball as well as I've seen. That was in the mid nineties, early two thousands, and so he started trying to compensate and cover the pitch down and in, and when he did that, his sowing can develop more tilt and lift on that side. So all of a sudden he was able to maybe pull more pitches underneath them towards the hole, but he lost this ability to really make pitchers duck, I mean duck with some tremendous backspin back up the middle. And I try to encourage him even on the ball down an into state inside it and take it back up the middle as a try as opposed to try to pull it only because that's who he was. That's who he was. Some guys need to pull that ball downe and in because they can't drive it back through the middle. So I having I'd have to watch Carol a little bit more, but it sounds like too flat. Possibly, But if he's not catching up or hitting the fastball, then he's really opening himself up to a lot of other things, I would imagine, and that's maybe part of his problem.

Well, yeah, and what that does then it opens up to a lot of other stuff. Now you're saying he's missing the basketball. But if you get too flat left handed hitter from a right handed pitcher, you're really got a huge hole underneath you. That breaking ball at your back foot really becomes problematic. So you try to do fix one thing, and the other thing kind of opens up. Erstad Darren was hot two hundred and forty hits one year. His hole was down and in a little because his swing was so flat, but he could back spin. Wow, he could backspin a baseball as well as I've seen. That was in the mid nineties, early two thousands, and so he started trying to compensate and cover the pitch down and in, and when he did that, his sowing can develop more tilt and lift on that side. So all of a sudden he was able to maybe pull more pitches underneath them towards the hole, but he lost this ability to really make pitchers duck, I mean duck with some tremendous backspin back up the middle. And I try to encourage him even on the ball down an into state inside it and take it back up the middle as a try as opposed to try to pull it only because that's who he was. That's who he was. Some guys need to pull that ball downe and in because they can't drive it back through the middle. So I having I'd have to watch Carol a little bit more, but it sounds like too flat. Possibly, But if he's not catching up or hitting the fastball, then he's really opening himself up to a lot of other things, I would imagine, and that's maybe part of his problem.

Also, you know, I had not thought of that till you mentioned it. I do see similarities between Erstad and Corbyn Carroll. I mean, you wouldn't say they had the most gorgeous swings in the world. I mean great players speed part of their game, definitely power as well, but sometimes a little bit of an unusual swing it can go sideways. I'm not sure if you thought Ersty was that same way, but great player, but as you know, he had his ups and he had his downs.

Also, you know, I had not thought of that till you mentioned it. I do see similarities between Erstad and Corbyn Carroll. I mean, you wouldn't say they had the most gorgeous swings in the world. I mean great players speed part of their game, definitely power as well, but sometimes a little bit of an unusual swing it can go sideways. I'm not sure if you thought Ersty was that same way, but great player, but as you know, he had his ups and he had his downs.

Oh yeah, Ersty was. He'd liked to guess a little bit, you know. He actually I was part of that. The year he had all those hits. We would sit down before the game and literally try to guess or figure out exactly what that picture was going to do that night versus him, and then he would you know, kind of cheat to that area. And not that he needed to cheat, because he was definitely quick enough, but just really try to gain an advantage, and we just happened to guess a lot that year, and then when you get to the point where maybe you're guessing wrong, that it becomes confusing a bit. So Ersty had that short, choppy I mean, Hansy Wow, Hansey's and the guy had like such an intense appearance that I mean, Caroll probably does present in some similar ways. I just haven't seen Carol on the field in person enough. But Ersty's one of my all time favorite baseball players as a player and as a person and as a teammate. So maybe I'll start watching Carol more closely. But the other thing you're talking about everybody's we get beat on fastballs all of a sudden, isn't this year the breaking ball?

Oh yeah, Ersty was. He'd liked to guess a little bit, you know. He actually I was part of that. The year he had all those hits. We would sit down before the game and literally try to guess or figure out exactly what that picture was going to do that night versus him, and then he would you know, kind of cheat to that area. And not that he needed to cheat, because he was definitely quick enough, but just really try to gain an advantage, and we just happened to guess a lot that year, and then when you get to the point where maybe you're guessing wrong, that it becomes confusing a bit. So Ersty had that short, choppy I mean, Hansy Wow, Hansey's and the guy had like such an intense appearance that I mean, Caroll probably does present in some similar ways. I just haven't seen Carol on the field in person enough. But Ersty's one of my all time favorite baseball players as a player and as a person and as a teammate. So maybe I'll start watching Carol more closely. But the other thing you're talking about everybody's we get beat on fastballs all of a sudden, isn't this year the breaking ball?

Yeah, it's supposed to be.

Yeah, it's supposed to be.

Part of what we had talked about earlier was the Red Sox success based on the proliferation of their breaking ball usage. And I thought, wow, that's kind of interesting, because I would believe if you're sitting breaking ball, that's easier to hit than sitting a really good fastball, especially with the velocity that we have today. So I don't know if it's like something that's being presented to these guys before the game, if they're up there breaking ball in their head because we're seeing more breaking balls and all of a sudden the fastball becomes more of a weapon. It's a back and forth constantly. So I'm sure as the year plays out things these things are going to change, But that would be my curiosity right there.

Part of what we had talked about earlier was the Red Sox success based on the proliferation of their breaking ball usage. And I thought, wow, that's kind of interesting, because I would believe if you're sitting breaking ball, that's easier to hit than sitting a really good fastball, especially with the velocity that we have today. So I don't know if it's like something that's being presented to these guys before the game, if they're up there breaking ball in their head because we're seeing more breaking balls and all of a sudden the fastball becomes more of a weapon. It's a back and forth constantly. So I'm sure as the year plays out things these things are going to change, But that would be my curiosity right there.

Yeah, I actually like that theory. I think there's a lot of that going on here where you know, we talk a lot about the fastball rate is the lowest that's ever been in the history of this game. So the idea of something off speed coming has definitely been planted and hitter as heads and when they do get fastballs, they're not catching up. I doubt there's a lot of guys sitting on off speed unless it's a very specific count situation. But yeah, I think that's a good working theory in general about some of these guys getting beat with fastballs. Sure, I got one more guy for you here who's in the top ten dropping slugging percentage, and again to me, it's an unusual swing path and set up, and that's Matt Olsen of the Braves. When you look at his numbers, he's struggled against breaking balls, four seen fastballs, his slugging percentage is down almost two hundred and fifty points. Power has not been there, Joe. You've seen this guy hit. You know, he'll start with his hands away from the body. He's got a little bit of a loop in the swing. He's also a tinkerer to me. To my eye, his swing and set up look a little bit different. After he had really an MVP quality season last year with fifty four home runs, he has not been right and he has been a streaky hitter. He's the pure power guy. He's not going to hit hit three hundred, but it's hard to see him struggle for as long as he has without the power. Matt Olsen again, an unusual swing, I would say, or a different kind of swing just not working so far.

Yeah, I actually like that theory. I think there's a lot of that going on here where you know, we talk a lot about the fastball rate is the lowest that's ever been in the history of this game. So the idea of something off speed coming has definitely been planted and hitter as heads and when they do get fastballs, they're not catching up. I doubt there's a lot of guys sitting on off speed unless it's a very specific count situation. But yeah, I think that's a good working theory in general about some of these guys getting beat with fastballs. Sure, I got one more guy for you here who's in the top ten dropping slugging percentage, and again to me, it's an unusual swing path and set up, and that's Matt Olsen of the Braves. When you look at his numbers, he's struggled against breaking balls, four seen fastballs, his slugging percentage is down almost two hundred and fifty points. Power has not been there, Joe. You've seen this guy hit. You know, he'll start with his hands away from the body. He's got a little bit of a loop in the swing. He's also a tinkerer to me. To my eye, his swing and set up look a little bit different. After he had really an MVP quality season last year with fifty four home runs, he has not been right and he has been a streaky hitter. He's the pure power guy. He's not going to hit hit three hundred, but it's hard to see him struggle for as long as he has without the power. Matt Olsen again, an unusual swing, I would say, or a different kind of swing just not working so far.

Big fan right there, Man, this guy is so goodness. Guy hits lefties. I mean, actually, there's there has been no advantage bringing a lefty in to face him. There was no advantage at all. So go ahead, bring in your lefty. You know, the manager just going to make the move based on that's what you're supposed to do. I think there's times this guy likes a lefty and I don't even know what's happening, right is he's seeing more righties out of the bullpen also right now, because sometimes a lefty needs a lefty to get back on track, believe it or not, especially a guy that hits him so well like he does. A couple years ago in Oakland, he went south a little bit too. There was a time I remember, I can't remember the year, but things just weren't playing for him either. And then I next year we come back and all of a sudden, I mean, he ain't missing nothing. So maybe it's just something that he goes through on occasion where he will go through some funk. But I would say, if I'm facing him right now, I definitely put a righty on him, because this guy needs some lefties to really get back. Stay on the on the plane with the ball, better get back in the left center field gap or just the middle of the ballpark in general, because he listen, he pulls a left and he beat us my first year and twenty twenty, Milner comes in relief bases loaded, ninth inning boom. I mean, upper tank left on left, there's no advantage, So stay with him. I'm that much of a fan of his. I think he's that good. But I'd be curious what's going on the plane of his swing. Are they getting underneath them all of a sudden, get a left just and if they're pitching more rightis against him?

Big fan right there, Man, this guy is so goodness. Guy hits lefties. I mean, actually, there's there has been no advantage bringing a lefty in to face him. There was no advantage at all. So go ahead, bring in your lefty. You know, the manager just going to make the move based on that's what you're supposed to do. I think there's times this guy likes a lefty and I don't even know what's happening, right is he's seeing more righties out of the bullpen also right now, because sometimes a lefty needs a lefty to get back on track, believe it or not, especially a guy that hits him so well like he does. A couple years ago in Oakland, he went south a little bit too. There was a time I remember, I can't remember the year, but things just weren't playing for him either. And then I next year we come back and all of a sudden, I mean, he ain't missing nothing. So maybe it's just something that he goes through on occasion where he will go through some funk. But I would say, if I'm facing him right now, I definitely put a righty on him, because this guy needs some lefties to really get back. Stay on the on the plane with the ball, better get back in the left center field gap or just the middle of the ballpark in general, because he listen, he pulls a left and he beat us my first year and twenty twenty, Milner comes in relief bases loaded, ninth inning boom. I mean, upper tank left on left, there's no advantage, So stay with him. I'm that much of a fan of his. I think he's that good. But I'd be curious what's going on the plane of his swing. Are they getting underneath them all of a sudden, get a left just and if they're pitching more rightis against him?

Because I would we're talking about when good hitters go bad. We're going to take a quick break and we get back. I want to ask Joe on our list. There's a one of his former players on the lists, and he knows him well, so I'll give us an insight on what has gone wrong. We'll do that right after this. Joe mentioned, one of your former players is on our list of guys with a really big decline in slugging percentage so far this year, and it's Nick Castillanos. You had him with the Cubs. He's a little bit different hitter. We all know his power really is to right center. But you look at his numbers this year and against secondary pitches, breaking balls and off speed. He's hitting a buck twenty five against breaking pitches this year. He's hitting one ten eight for seventy three against breaking pitches. You know, Nick is a different can be a streaky hitter. He's a different kind of hitter. You've seen it. I'm not sure if he had trouble with breaking stuff. When you saw him, Joe, I mean he can be. I've seen him take sliders out the other way. Of course, give me your thoughts on Nick Castillanos and why he might be struggling against off speed.

Because I would we're talking about when good hitters go bad. We're going to take a quick break and we get back. I want to ask Joe on our list. There's a one of his former players on the lists, and he knows him well, so I'll give us an insight on what has gone wrong. We'll do that right after this. Joe mentioned, one of your former players is on our list of guys with a really big decline in slugging percentage so far this year, and it's Nick Castillanos. You had him with the Cubs. He's a little bit different hitter. We all know his power really is to right center. But you look at his numbers this year and against secondary pitches, breaking balls and off speed. He's hitting a buck twenty five against breaking pitches this year. He's hitting one ten eight for seventy three against breaking pitches. You know, Nick is a different can be a streaky hitter. He's a different kind of hitter. You've seen it. I'm not sure if he had trouble with breaking stuff. When you saw him, Joe, I mean he can be. I've seen him take sliders out the other way. Of course, give me your thoughts on Nick Castillanos and why he might be struggling against off speed.

Chase except your walks. It's I mean, when he's going better for me, he's not chasing that thing down down in a way. It's just he's he got his propensity to do that. He gets in the swing mode. When he gets in swing mode, he's really easy to pitch too. If he fouls off his fastball, doesn't hit it hard and keep it fair, that's it. He ain't going to see another one. So it's all about Chase. It's all about accepting his walks. Nick is a doubles machine, as we all know. I've never been on the field with somebody that hits line gap gap line as often as he does. It's so crazy how the ball never goes at an outfielder when he's right the other on the right field line, left field line. But and Thatchle, like you said, I could be fastball or breaking ball. To me, the biggest thing with him is wolf And I usould say to a lot of my hitters, when you're walking, you're hitting, just meaning that you're going to see better pitches to work with. When somebody's chasing in chase mode and somebody's out of the zone all the time, pitches aren'tdumb. I mean, we just talked about that, you're not going to see the pitch that you can drive. So before he really starts hitting again, he's got to start walking some he's not a walker. I understand that he wants to. He loves to swing, but he's got to become a little bit more patient, except as walks create more of a finite strike zone to start getting back to the pitches that he can hit for his doubles and more. That's exactly what I see. It'll happen. He will get to the point where he'll start seeing it sooner, see the spin better, and he's a layoffer for me. Guys like Nikki I would as a hitting coach. I take him out, I put him on the field with the pitching machine, breaking ball machine, and I have it start from strike ball. I wanted to see strike ball break, and then I wanted to see ball strike break, and just to really re emphasize to him, he knows this. Of course he knows this. These guys get in the habit sometimes they just want to swing and they get in chase mode. And that's where he's at.

Chase except your walks. It's I mean, when he's going better for me, he's not chasing that thing down down in a way. It's just he's he got his propensity to do that. He gets in the swing mode. When he gets in swing mode, he's really easy to pitch too. If he fouls off his fastball, doesn't hit it hard and keep it fair, that's it. He ain't going to see another one. So it's all about Chase. It's all about accepting his walks. Nick is a doubles machine, as we all know. I've never been on the field with somebody that hits line gap gap line as often as he does. It's so crazy how the ball never goes at an outfielder when he's right the other on the right field line, left field line. But and Thatchle, like you said, I could be fastball or breaking ball. To me, the biggest thing with him is wolf And I usould say to a lot of my hitters, when you're walking, you're hitting, just meaning that you're going to see better pitches to work with. When somebody's chasing in chase mode and somebody's out of the zone all the time, pitches aren'tdumb. I mean, we just talked about that, you're not going to see the pitch that you can drive. So before he really starts hitting again, he's got to start walking some he's not a walker. I understand that he wants to. He loves to swing, but he's got to become a little bit more patient, except as walks create more of a finite strike zone to start getting back to the pitches that he can hit for his doubles and more. That's exactly what I see. It'll happen. He will get to the point where he'll start seeing it sooner, see the spin better, and he's a layoffer for me. Guys like Nikki I would as a hitting coach. I take him out, I put him on the field with the pitching machine, breaking ball machine, and I have it start from strike ball. I wanted to see strike ball break, and then I wanted to see ball strike break, and just to really re emphasize to him, he knows this. Of course he knows this. These guys get in the habit sometimes they just want to swing and they get in chase mode. And that's where he's at.

Yeah, especially on first pitches. I mean, he is one of the most aggressive swinging hitters on first pitches in the game. And he's behind the count so many times. It's all wanting to blink of an eye and not necessarily strikes that he's swinging at first pitch, So that would be a good place to start another guy. He's got an unusual approach. Boba shit. I mean, I thought when he came up, Joey looked at me like almost like a Pete Rose type where this guy is gonna get two hundred hits a year, loves to swing the bat. He's always had a high chase rate. He's got an unusual way of swinging. He's heavy, rotational. He's a great opposite field hitter, but the slugging percentage is way down. He's got like no damage to the pole side of the field. And what I see is teams are pounding him in with velocity inside fastballs to tie him up because he does like to shoot the ball the other way. Even if it's middle, he's going to shoot the ball the other way. But that rotational swing that he has, sometimes he's a little bit tardy and he's not getting the bat head out to do any damage to the pulse side, So he's essentially using half the field. And the guy with a sky high chase rate his whole career, you know, he's getting burned sometimes. So listen. I look at Toronto and I've never been really as high on their offense as a lot of people have been. But I mean Bashett and La Guerrero, there's a lot of ground balls, there's not as much damage as people think. Bobaschett, to me, he should be a repeater, a guy who has a lot of hits, as I said, year in year out. Just not happening for him this year. And I think pictures have adjusted on him.

Yeah, especially on first pitches. I mean, he is one of the most aggressive swinging hitters on first pitches in the game. And he's behind the count so many times. It's all wanting to blink of an eye and not necessarily strikes that he's swinging at first pitch, So that would be a good place to start another guy. He's got an unusual approach. Boba shit. I mean, I thought when he came up, Joey looked at me like almost like a Pete Rose type where this guy is gonna get two hundred hits a year, loves to swing the bat. He's always had a high chase rate. He's got an unusual way of swinging. He's heavy, rotational. He's a great opposite field hitter, but the slugging percentage is way down. He's got like no damage to the pole side of the field. And what I see is teams are pounding him in with velocity inside fastballs to tie him up because he does like to shoot the ball the other way. Even if it's middle, he's going to shoot the ball the other way. But that rotational swing that he has, sometimes he's a little bit tardy and he's not getting the bat head out to do any damage to the pulse side, So he's essentially using half the field. And the guy with a sky high chase rate his whole career, you know, he's getting burned sometimes. So listen. I look at Toronto and I've never been really as high on their offense as a lot of people have been. But I mean Bashett and La Guerrero, there's a lot of ground balls, there's not as much damage as people think. Bobaschett, to me, he should be a repeater, a guy who has a lot of hits, as I said, year in year out. Just not happening for him this year. And I think pictures have adjusted on him.

That had his daddy. I mean, you're talking about Dante a little bit. Although Dante wasn't over rotational. Dante would stay through the middle of the ballpark, great to right center. Rick Dan was his hitting coach. I was his afterward hitting coach, and it was always about that. I remember throwing bpt to Dante in Jackson Mississippi on a hot, humid day and we're there and the drill. I used to do what Dante was. I want to hit one out to right center. Then I wanted to pull a ball. It went out to right center. Then pull a ball. I remember throwing the ball and I could literally see like water flying off my hand. And he was doing it so well. Poem right center out and Jackson wasn't easy. And then he would rip one of the left side. So there's a lot of hereditary factors going on here. What you're talking about with Bo, Yeah, he's gonna want to swing, because again that's that's what a bashet is. They like to swing the bat. When you talked about get jammed up. And I haven't watched him often enough, but if it is that bad, there's a couple things. Get off the plate, possibly get off the plate A or B. Get your back foot closer to the plate. See what happens is wherever you're standing, your front foot's going to go to the spot on the ground where it thinks it needs to be to cover the outside corner. It just doesn't. It has a brain. Your left foot has a brain. Right hand hitter, and it's going to go there to cover. But sometimes if your right foot's so far off the plate, your left foot drives so much you start blocking out your backside. Your hands go away and you really can't get your backside through. So for me, the adjustments a lot of time, or not most of the time. Get your right foot in little micro adjustments closer to the plate, and when you do that, when your front foot lands, it's not going to be so extreme closed, which blocks out your backside in your hands. So I'd be curious to watch all that as if he's getting jammed up like that, it sounds like he's diving a lot. And again that is his strength is to go the other way. But we're talking about the way these guys are pitching and what they know. Now he's not going to see that. I don't know how if he does, he get hit with pitches off in It sounds like he might. I don't know that for a fact, but I would really look into that. Get your back foot closer to the plate, which then permits your stride to be more direct line with the pitcher, and then because of that, your hands and your backside become more active.

That had his daddy. I mean, you're talking about Dante a little bit. Although Dante wasn't over rotational. Dante would stay through the middle of the ballpark, great to right center. Rick Dan was his hitting coach. I was his afterward hitting coach, and it was always about that. I remember throwing bpt to Dante in Jackson Mississippi on a hot, humid day and we're there and the drill. I used to do what Dante was. I want to hit one out to right center. Then I wanted to pull a ball. It went out to right center. Then pull a ball. I remember throwing the ball and I could literally see like water flying off my hand. And he was doing it so well. Poem right center out and Jackson wasn't easy. And then he would rip one of the left side. So there's a lot of hereditary factors going on here. What you're talking about with Bo, Yeah, he's gonna want to swing, because again that's that's what a bashet is. They like to swing the bat. When you talked about get jammed up. And I haven't watched him often enough, but if it is that bad, there's a couple things. Get off the plate, possibly get off the plate A or B. Get your back foot closer to the plate. See what happens is wherever you're standing, your front foot's going to go to the spot on the ground where it thinks it needs to be to cover the outside corner. It just doesn't. It has a brain. Your left foot has a brain. Right hand hitter, and it's going to go there to cover. But sometimes if your right foot's so far off the plate, your left foot drives so much you start blocking out your backside. Your hands go away and you really can't get your backside through. So for me, the adjustments a lot of time, or not most of the time. Get your right foot in little micro adjustments closer to the plate, and when you do that, when your front foot lands, it's not going to be so extreme closed, which blocks out your backside in your hands. So I'd be curious to watch all that as if he's getting jammed up like that, it sounds like he's diving a lot. And again that is his strength is to go the other way. But we're talking about the way these guys are pitching and what they know. Now he's not going to see that. I don't know how if he does, he get hit with pitches off in It sounds like he might. I don't know that for a fact, but I would really look into that. Get your back foot closer to the plate, which then permits your stride to be more direct line with the pitcher, and then because of that, your hands and your backside become more active.

Yeah, I would think with his style of hitting you know, the right on right two seemer In on the hands gives him a lot of trouble. And then for a guy who likes the swing that opens up the outside part of the plate with breaking stuff, here's another guy on my list. Here again we're talking about good hitters gone bad. Slugging percentage way down this year from where it was last year. And I'm surprised he's on the list because I thought, again he's a repeater type guy where you don't worry about him, your Don Alvarez. I mean, he hits lefties as well as anybody you talk about Matt Olsen. We've seen guys bring lefties in, do you or Non Alvarez and get absolutely burned. He's got tremendous balance at the plate. I rarely see him on his front foot, but Joe, this year against breaking pitches, he has no home runs. His lugging percentage on breaking stuff this year is two forty five. I mean, it's just amazing to me to see. For again, I've always thought Jordan had some of the best balance in the batter's box that I've seen. He fills up the box. He's intimidating, doesn't give ground. But it's just not happening so far this year.

Yeah, I would think with his style of hitting you know, the right on right two seemer In on the hands gives him a lot of trouble. And then for a guy who likes the swing that opens up the outside part of the plate with breaking stuff, here's another guy on my list. Here again we're talking about good hitters gone bad. Slugging percentage way down this year from where it was last year. And I'm surprised he's on the list because I thought, again he's a repeater type guy where you don't worry about him, your Don Alvarez. I mean, he hits lefties as well as anybody you talk about Matt Olsen. We've seen guys bring lefties in, do you or Non Alvarez and get absolutely burned. He's got tremendous balance at the plate. I rarely see him on his front foot, but Joe, this year against breaking pitches, he has no home runs. His lugging percentage on breaking stuff this year is two forty five. I mean, it's just amazing to me to see. For again, I've always thought Jordan had some of the best balance in the batter's box that I've seen. He fills up the box. He's intimidating, doesn't give ground. But it's just not happening so far this year.

Brother, I have I've had him in my top ten from twenty twenty whatever I first laid eyes on him. This guy's that good, he's that scary. He's like a bigger version of Chili Davis. He just hit from one side, but when I see him standing up there, he's got the kind of Chili stance, Chili sensibilities at the plate. I mean, you talk about competing and just this unbelievable ability to make adjustments. So the fact that he hasn't this point is kind of interesting. And also again you talk about fatigue from playing and playing and playing in the most critical times of the year, and all of a sudden, it's still at that point where the games don't mean enough yet, And they will because they're starting to pick up a little bit Houston and he will. This guy hits lefties so well, just like Olson, there's no advantage in Tucker. There's another guy in that lineup there with Houston that hits lefties so well that there's no advant advantage at all for bringing in the left haender to face these guys. If he's chasing break in balls, that's just a focus thing or concentration thing. To me, he'll get beyond that because he can. He hits them, hits them really far, hits any and he hits them the left center when it's there, you know, reachable away, and then gosh, if the if you if you leave them over the play at all, they're going so far to right field. I would not worry about this, fellaw. I'm that big of a fan of him and Olson. I think a little bit is playoff fatigue. Uh. They need a little bit more adrenaline going right now, and I think when you see that, they're going to up and really take off like they had in the past, again without injury. I'm not worried about either one of those guys.

Brother, I have I've had him in my top ten from twenty twenty whatever I first laid eyes on him. This guy's that good, he's that scary. He's like a bigger version of Chili Davis. He just hit from one side, but when I see him standing up there, he's got the kind of Chili stance, Chili sensibilities at the plate. I mean, you talk about competing and just this unbelievable ability to make adjustments. So the fact that he hasn't this point is kind of interesting. And also again you talk about fatigue from playing and playing and playing in the most critical times of the year, and all of a sudden, it's still at that point where the games don't mean enough yet, And they will because they're starting to pick up a little bit Houston and he will. This guy hits lefties so well, just like Olson, there's no advantage in Tucker. There's another guy in that lineup there with Houston that hits lefties so well that there's no advant advantage at all for bringing in the left haender to face these guys. If he's chasing break in balls, that's just a focus thing or concentration thing. To me, he'll get beyond that because he can. He hits them, hits them really far, hits any and he hits them the left center when it's there, you know, reachable away, and then gosh, if the if you if you leave them over the play at all, they're going so far to right field. I would not worry about this, fellaw. I'm that big of a fan of him and Olson. I think a little bit is playoff fatigue. Uh. They need a little bit more adrenaline going right now, and I think when you see that, they're going to up and really take off like they had in the past, again without injury. I'm not worried about either one of those guys.

Yeah, I'm with you, and you're done. Last year, this is amazing hitting against breaking stuff. He hit three twenty three. I mean, nobody hits over three hundred against breaking stuff. The major league average is about to twelve, way beyond that last year. He's down the two to eight this year, so that's going to change. And by the way, if you look in your rear view mirror if you're Seattle, you see Houston coming. For all people who thought Houston was buried in the first month of the season. That's slow out of the gate. No, they're gonna be just fine. I think they're gonna be a great second half team. It reminds me a lot of your some of the teams you had, especially in Chicago, where once these guys have done it. And listen, they've done it year after year after year. There's no panic, not that any team really panics, but they know this team is built for the long haul. They know the length of the season. They're too talented. They're back in it. So if people thought Houston was going away, they were absolutely wrong.

Yeah, I'm with you, and you're done. Last year, this is amazing hitting against breaking stuff. He hit three twenty three. I mean, nobody hits over three hundred against breaking stuff. The major league average is about to twelve, way beyond that last year. He's down the two to eight this year, so that's going to change. And by the way, if you look in your rear view mirror if you're Seattle, you see Houston coming. For all people who thought Houston was buried in the first month of the season. That's slow out of the gate. No, they're gonna be just fine. I think they're gonna be a great second half team. It reminds me a lot of your some of the teams you had, especially in Chicago, where once these guys have done it. And listen, they've done it year after year after year. There's no panic, not that any team really panics, but they know this team is built for the long haul. They know the length of the season. They're too talented. They're back in it. So if people thought Houston was going away, they were absolutely wrong.

This year, correct. I mean, there's no doubt about that. I've been watching the whole thing unfold, and they do look a lot at the previous year's playoff teams what the Yankees have done this year because of the tough year they've had last year. They're so motivated right now. My god. They they heard about it, They read about it every time they have their wheaedies in the morning. They thought about it some more the entire offseason. All of a sudden, here here it comes, and they're they're so mentally focused in sharp right now, and that is the residue of a tough year the previous year, whereas teams that have been good and consistently good. Now the Phillies maybe an anomaly. I like, I just love the Phillies grit. I love the way this group. I know Schwerber as an example, I know him and I know Harp a little bit. They're just got this thing on. Unplus their healths such a high level of accountability by the fan base there in Philadelphia, so you know, teams like Houston you don't have that same kind of you know, push from the fan base. They you know, they a little bit nice compared to what Philadelphia might be. So they're gonna come back. They're gonna come back, and yeah, they're definitely gonna press shadow there. They have to get their pictures healthy. My god. I mean, these guys have been doing this whole time without a large number of their better pitchers, and they're still holding it together nicely, and they're going to get over this malaise and they're going to start playing like Houston can play. There's no doubt in my mind they will be there at the end of the year. All these guys that we're worried about right now, will by the end of the season start resembling the back of their bubblegum cards again, because they're not old and they're not hurt.

This year, correct. I mean, there's no doubt about that. I've been watching the whole thing unfold, and they do look a lot at the previous year's playoff teams what the Yankees have done this year because of the tough year they've had last year. They're so motivated right now. My god. They they heard about it, They read about it every time they have their wheaedies in the morning. They thought about it some more the entire offseason. All of a sudden, here here it comes, and they're they're so mentally focused in sharp right now, and that is the residue of a tough year the previous year, whereas teams that have been good and consistently good. Now the Phillies maybe an anomaly. I like, I just love the Phillies grit. I love the way this group. I know Schwerber as an example, I know him and I know Harp a little bit. They're just got this thing on. Unplus their healths such a high level of accountability by the fan base there in Philadelphia, so you know, teams like Houston you don't have that same kind of you know, push from the fan base. They you know, they a little bit nice compared to what Philadelphia might be. So they're gonna come back. They're gonna come back, and yeah, they're definitely gonna press shadow there. They have to get their pictures healthy. My god. I mean, these guys have been doing this whole time without a large number of their better pitchers, and they're still holding it together nicely, and they're going to get over this malaise and they're going to start playing like Houston can play. There's no doubt in my mind they will be there at the end of the year. All these guys that we're worried about right now, will by the end of the season start resembling the back of their bubblegum cards again, because they're not old and they're not hurt.

One more for you, Joe, and it's Julio Rodriguez. He's got two home runs. I mean, we're forty seven games into the season for Seattle and just two home runs. And it's interesting when I was looking at his advanced metrics, the overall numbers, he's hitting the ball just as hard, he's not chasing as much. He's actually hitting more line drives. His expected slugging percentage is the same as what it was last year. And that's a measurement of how hard you hit the ball and what angle you hit it. So you have to dive a little deeper into what's going on. And what's happening is he's lost his pull side power. He has no home runs to the pole side of the field. This lugging percentage is down under three hundred to the pole side of the field. He's what he's doing is he's drifting a little bit. You know, it can happen in time to time, but now this has been you know, getting into his second month. Here where a guy where we saw his first two years. He's one of only three active players with sixty homers and sixty doubles in his first two years. Josea Brew and Chris Bryant were the other two to do that. And what we're not seeing is the pole side power from Julio Rodriguez. Again, he's hitting the ball hard, and he's hitting actually more line drives. But to elevate the ball, to stay behind the ball, click it out front, it's just not happening for him right now. What would you do in a case like that?

One more for you, Joe, and it's Julio Rodriguez. He's got two home runs. I mean, we're forty seven games into the season for Seattle and just two home runs. And it's interesting when I was looking at his advanced metrics, the overall numbers, he's hitting the ball just as hard, he's not chasing as much. He's actually hitting more line drives. His expected slugging percentage is the same as what it was last year. And that's a measurement of how hard you hit the ball and what angle you hit it. So you have to dive a little deeper into what's going on. And what's happening is he's lost his pull side power. He has no home runs to the pole side of the field. This lugging percentage is down under three hundred to the pole side of the field. He's what he's doing is he's drifting a little bit. You know, it can happen in time to time, but now this has been you know, getting into his second month. Here where a guy where we saw his first two years. He's one of only three active players with sixty homers and sixty doubles in his first two years. Josea Brew and Chris Bryant were the other two to do that. And what we're not seeing is the pole side power from Julio Rodriguez. Again, he's hitting the ball hard, and he's hitting actually more line drives. But to elevate the ball, to stay behind the ball, click it out front, it's just not happening for him right now. What would you do in a case like that?

Yeah, the biggest Again, that sounds like it's going to change of its own volition. Also, I believe what you do with something like that, And you gotta be careful if he's hitting the ball that well, that hard, you don't want to put a whole lot of thoughts into his head. The biggest thing would be, like in a batting practice, even you know, I would put a batting tea on the field. Actually, in situations like this, I take the tea out there and I move the tee around like you can imagine the ball inside of a strike insider slightly off the plate inside as a longer swing with less time to make up your mind. Then you move the ball back to the middle. It's a little bit shorter swing with more time to make up your mind. Then you put the ball off the outside edge, and then you have more time to think about and a shorter swing to make up your mind what you want to do with it. So right now, he's just maybe just focusing on the middle more. I mean, it might be part of what he's been trying to do. It might have been a goal of his this season. If he is striking out less and making more contact, that sounds to me like it was a gold driven or oriented for him. So in order to get back to the pull side power, he just just has to see where do I need to make contact on this pitch without jumping, with letting the ball come to me, letting stay back, and still permitting the ball middle to travel and definitely the ball away to travel even far there in order to get the desired results. So I think he's done something different intentionally from what you're saying to me, because overall it's the same hitter, which just not pulling the ball as often. Last point has been playing in colder weather. I don't know, has the weather been different this year? Has it just been off a little bit? Who knows? Is he hit some balls well that have gotten held up in some strong wins. I'd be curious, because even a couple home runs like that will make a guy change his mind, or is confidence level will begin to store just because the ball went over the wall or it did not.

Yeah, the biggest Again, that sounds like it's going to change of its own volition. Also, I believe what you do with something like that, And you gotta be careful if he's hitting the ball that well, that hard, you don't want to put a whole lot of thoughts into his head. The biggest thing would be, like in a batting practice, even you know, I would put a batting tea on the field. Actually, in situations like this, I take the tea out there and I move the tee around like you can imagine the ball inside of a strike insider slightly off the plate inside as a longer swing with less time to make up your mind. Then you move the ball back to the middle. It's a little bit shorter swing with more time to make up your mind. Then you put the ball off the outside edge, and then you have more time to think about and a shorter swing to make up your mind what you want to do with it. So right now, he's just maybe just focusing on the middle more. I mean, it might be part of what he's been trying to do. It might have been a goal of his this season. If he is striking out less and making more contact, that sounds to me like it was a gold driven or oriented for him. So in order to get back to the pull side power, he just just has to see where do I need to make contact on this pitch without jumping, with letting the ball come to me, letting stay back, and still permitting the ball middle to travel and definitely the ball away to travel even far there in order to get the desired results. So I think he's done something different intentionally from what you're saying to me, because overall it's the same hitter, which just not pulling the ball as often. Last point has been playing in colder weather. I don't know, has the weather been different this year? Has it just been off a little bit? Who knows? Is he hit some balls well that have gotten held up in some strong wins. I'd be curious, because even a couple home runs like that will make a guy change his mind, or is confidence level will begin to store just because the ball went over the wall or it did not.

Well, it's interesting here. First of all, they need Julio to hit home runs because this team is hitting two twenty eight and they strike out more than any team in baseball. So listen, I love their pitching. Everybody loves their pitching. They're filled with just absolute strike throwing machines with swing and miss stuff. Great. That keeps them at every game. But their path to win that they have to hit home runs because they just don't put the ball in play enough. You're punching out ten to eleven times a night. That's a lot of empty at bats. There's few rallies, so you need people on base, you need home runs. This guy should be a thirty home run hitter. I think he will be. What's interesting Joe is that he has started slowly in each of his first two seasons, and Scott's service told me what's gotten him right believe it or not, is the home run derby where, let's face it, you need to stay behind the baseball. You're trying to hit the ball out of the park. And you look at his lugging percentage, it's more than one hundred points higher in the second half of seasons. Obviously, that's following the home run derby's that he's been in. And it's interesting because the home run derby has gotten this myth that it'll ruin your swing, which is a bunch of balogey. But in this case, Scott's Service just half jokingly said that the home run derby has actually helped hould you over Adriguz, because, let's face it, to hit the ball out of the park, to try to hit a home run, you have to stay behind the baseball. You can't drift.

Well, it's interesting here. First of all, they need Julio to hit home runs because this team is hitting two twenty eight and they strike out more than any team in baseball. So listen, I love their pitching. Everybody loves their pitching. They're filled with just absolute strike throwing machines with swing and miss stuff. Great. That keeps them at every game. But their path to win that they have to hit home runs because they just don't put the ball in play enough. You're punching out ten to eleven times a night. That's a lot of empty at bats. There's few rallies, so you need people on base, you need home runs. This guy should be a thirty home run hitter. I think he will be. What's interesting Joe is that he has started slowly in each of his first two seasons, and Scott's service told me what's gotten him right believe it or not, is the home run derby where, let's face it, you need to stay behind the baseball. You're trying to hit the ball out of the park. And you look at his lugging percentage, it's more than one hundred points higher in the second half of seasons. Obviously, that's following the home run derby's that he's been in. And it's interesting because the home run derby has gotten this myth that it'll ruin your swing, which is a bunch of balogey. But in this case, Scott's Service just half jokingly said that the home run derby has actually helped hould you over Adriguz, because, let's face it, to hit the ball out of the park, to try to hit a home run, you have to stay behind the baseball. You can't drift.

Well, then again, he might have some built in governors that he's trying to do to stay inside the ball line, drives the right center and then maybe all of a sudden he just rids himself of those thoughts. Like you said, it's in there. The power, the ability, this guy is phenomenal. It'll eventually show up. But like you said, the home run derby stuff gosh. I mean, once something a narrative is created, it's incredible how it gains momentum, even though it has no substance whatsoever, zero and not always. It used to amaze me. It no longer amazes me, but I could see that it's no different than like, I'm gonna go out and play golf. Pretty soon, you know, I'm gonna get so upset with how crappy I'm driving to bominous can eventually say screw it. I'm gonna hit it as hard as I possibly can. And I think that's that kind of method mechanics plays in every sport that you're swinging something because you get frustrated, You get frustrated with not doing what you normally do, and then you just caution into the wind SAE kind of screw it, and you go ahead and just let it happen, become more athletic and not so intentional.

Well, then again, he might have some built in governors that he's trying to do to stay inside the ball line, drives the right center and then maybe all of a sudden he just rids himself of those thoughts. Like you said, it's in there. The power, the ability, this guy is phenomenal. It'll eventually show up. But like you said, the home run derby stuff gosh. I mean, once something a narrative is created, it's incredible how it gains momentum, even though it has no substance whatsoever, zero and not always. It used to amaze me. It no longer amazes me, but I could see that it's no different than like, I'm gonna go out and play golf. Pretty soon, you know, I'm gonna get so upset with how crappy I'm driving to bominous can eventually say screw it. I'm gonna hit it as hard as I possibly can. And I think that's that kind of method mechanics plays in every sport that you're swinging something because you get frustrated, You get frustrated with not doing what you normally do, and then you just caution into the wind SAE kind of screw it, and you go ahead and just let it happen, become more athletic and not so intentional.

All these guys we talked about here are great hitters, and you figure they're on their side that they're going to get back to the usual level that they've established in the big leagues. My question for you, Joe, is whether you've been around somebody who's been a good hitter and just has a year that goes sideways that for whatever reason, whether it's batting average on balls and play, is unlucky that swing mechanics got in the way and they never got it back, just kind of got underwater early in the season and never recovered. I'm talking about a good hitter. When a good hitter goes bad for a whole season, have you seen something like that.

All these guys we talked about here are great hitters, and you figure they're on their side that they're going to get back to the usual level that they've established in the big leagues. My question for you, Joe, is whether you've been around somebody who's been a good hitter and just has a year that goes sideways that for whatever reason, whether it's batting average on balls and play, is unlucky that swing mechanics got in the way and they never got it back, just kind of got underwater early in the season and never recovered. I'm talking about a good hitter. When a good hitter goes bad for a whole season, have you seen something like that.

Well, Kb's done that more recently, you know, because when KB first came up, I mean obviously the Hall of Fame plaque was already being chiseled at that particular time based on the first couple of years. So in over a short period of time, KB has kind of regressed. Obviously we talked about him a couple of weeks ago, and he's had several injuries too to contribute to all of that. But he and then Hobby, I mean, look at what Hobby. Where Hobby's at right now. There was no more influential player on that CUB team for me when I first got there than him. I remember my first ring training. I remember talking to Dio and others and I said, I know you know about his hitting, and I know that it's we're not quite sure what he's going to do, but I know we're also a better team with him on the FIELDY have a better chance to win when he's on the field because he's such a great baseball athlete. However, you're seeing what's going on with his hitting right now. I don't know if it's the Detroit Ballpark, I don't know. I just don't know where he's at mentally. But there's two guys that you know, Hobby never really achieved great numbers, but really he was a very good offensive player, and so is KB. So just in my own backyard, I'm looking at two guys there specifically that in the beginning it was like I can't miss kind of a thing, and then it wasn't so much so, And I do believe a big part of that is analytics regarding what to throw these guys where not to make a mistake with Hobby again, do not just make him chase Nikki Castellanos, make him chase KB eventually down in a way break ball, let him roll it over. When you get that kind of certain information, then there's no ambibolist. This is what I'm gonna throw. And you've told this no, no, no, no, just stay with it. You don't have to try to change things up here. Just stay with these pitches in this method until they prove you otherwise. And these guys have been victimized by it.