A few weeks ago, I listened to a podcast show. In the show, a well-known reporter indicated that a power hitter has a serious problem against pitches in the bottom of the strike zone this season. That player used to be considered one of the most dangerous hitters in the majors. However, this season, he just has some troubles.
After listening to the show, I began to think about a question. Are there other players who face the same problem this season?
To understand a little bit more, I decided to check on the statcast website.
By far this season, Bryan De La Cruz is hitting .248/.304/.407 with 9 home runs and 25 RBI. He’s leading the Marlins in home runs. An OPS over .700 isn’t so bad. However, while facing pitches in the bottom of the strike zone, his batting average is only .179. Meanwhile, Orlando Arcia is now batting .236/.261/.382 with 5 home runs and 19 RBI. An OPS below .700 doesn’t look good. A key problem is that Arcia hasn’t hit well against pitches in the bottom of the strike zone with a BA below .200.
In December 2022, Dansby Swanson inked a 7-year deal with the Chicago Cubs. In his first season with the Cubs, Swanson slashed .244/.328/.416 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI over 147 games. Nonetheless, by far this season, Swanson’s OPS is below .600. Perhaps, a key concern is that he hasn’t hit well against pitches in the bottom of the strike zone. His batting average against pitches in the bottom of the strike zone is only .183 now.
In addition, it’s Yandy Diaz’s 6th season with the Rays. Over the last 5 seasons, he’s been one of the most consistent hitters in the Rays lineup. From 2019 to 2023, there were 4 times that Diaz finished a season with an OPS over .800. In particular, he was outstanding in 2023, slashing .330/.410/.522 with 22 home runs and 78 RBI across 137 games. Nevertheless, Diaz has some struggles this season. He now only hits .242/.316/.342 with 4 home runs and 25 RBI. When pitchers locate pitches in the bottom of the strike zone, Diaz’s batting average is below .200.
Finally, Riley Greene now slashes .234/.338/.443 and he leads the Tigers with 10 home runs. Nonetheless, Greene hasn’t hit well against pitches in the bottom of the strike zone with a batting average below .200. Furthermore, Randy Arozarena hits only .159/.258/.313 thus far. When pitches are located in the bottom of the strike zone, his batting average is below .200.
It’s been 2 months since the 2024 season began. By far, we have seen some players face some problems when pitchers locate pitches in the bottom of the strike zone. Among those players who now have a batting average below .200 while facing pitches in the bottom of the zone, Riley Greene is the only player who has an xwOBA over .300. It seems that by far this season, most of them couldn’t make solid contact against pitches in the bottom of the zone. It will be very important to see whether they will be able to make some adjustments.
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