Why Albies needs to stop hitting so many fly balls

[Enscheff]

After hitting 3 fly balls in 4 PAs tonight, Albies' fly ball rate is going to be over 50%. That is bad, but why, exactly?

Albies has an average FB/LD exit velocity of 90.2 MPH: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statc...resp_batter_id

That places him in the bottom third of all MLB hitters. Quite simply, he doesn't hit the ball very hard.

According to this chart: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...ce-of-hitting/

The value of fly balls hit at 90 MPH is very low (look at all that purple).

Albies needs to stay out of the purple area of the chart. He needs to be hitting LDs and GBs with launch angles between about 5 and 20 degrees. When/if his FB exit velocity ticks up closer to 95, he can start trying to elevate more batted balls.

[Chico]

I used to hate it when Furcal would hit a homer as there would always be some fly outs to come after, until Bobby would chew him out for not using his speed.

[bravesfanMatt]

Clearly the answer is Camargo at second.

[msstate7]

Clearly the answer is Camargo at second.

Camargo at ss
Jace at 2b

[bravesfanMatt]

Camargo at ss
Jace at 2b

Yep. Have a good bench with Swanson and Ozzie. Shoot. I could see a lead off double pinch bunt Dans to get the guy to third then auto sac fly pinch hitting Ozzie. Profit.

[50PoundHead]

Ted Williams used to preach to his non-power hitters that hitting opposite field flyballs is a cardinal sin that leads to easy outs. That has changed somewhat since the days when Ted Williams managed (and wrote The Science of Hitting) due to the increased effectiveness of strength training, but one of the worst things Albies could do is start to envision himself as a power hitter. Reasonable (for his size) power may come with experience, but right now he should be concentrating on "down and hard" as we used to say in the dugout.

[smootness]

He clearly sacrificed some contact for added power in the upper levels of the minors, and it worked for him for the most part there. But yeah, that exit velocity isn't good enough to be doing that right now in the majors.

[jpack1]

Albies is just in a rut right now. He was scuffling abit when called up. He will get it turned around pretty soon.

[Tapate50]

GROUND BREAKING ANALYSIS RIGHT HERE FOLKS.

Diminutive infielder with plus speed needs to hit the ball on the ground more often. How did I not see it before?!!?!?

I have reason to believe this analysis is correct.

[Julio3000]

When I watched Albies in low-A, he looked to have surprising pop for his size because of his quick hands and knack for barrels, but it played more as line drive and gap power. I'm not sure exactly how to characterize it, but he looked to be more of an authoritative slap hitter, if that makes sense. A lot of good contact, but more playing to his speed than trying to muscle the ball.

[GeorgiaGirl]

When I watched Albies in low-A, he looked to have surprising pop for his size because of his quick hands and knack for barrels, but it played more as line drive and gap power. I'm not sure exactly how to characterize it, but he looked to be more of an authoritative slap hitter, if that makes sense. A lot of good contact, but more playing to his speed than trying to muscle the ball.

If there's anything he could have polished off in AAA, it's finding a happy medium between this and more swinging for power. I don't remember for sure, but his stance and swing has seemingly stayed the same, his approach though has not.

Then again, this dance between average vs pop has often happened in MLB, however in a case like Altuve he was hitting for average before adding the power and he kept both.

Actually I think it might still be in him but mainly in two strike situational. In his first AB against Wainwright in the previous series he was swinging pretty hard early in the count but when he got to two strikes he took some off and got a nice base hit.

[Horsehide Harry]

Albies was rushed up just like Swanson, not as egregiously because he did spend significant time at AAA but he was much younger and wasn't exactly killing AAA pitching. And there was no need for it.

He's learning on the job and burning service time. And, considering the Braves already had Phillips and Peterson, both arguably better ML players right now, then it makes it even worse.

These moves are not good baseball moves, management moves or money moves. They are candy for those short on attention, fickle of nature and limited of understanding.

[thewupk]

Albies is just in a rut right now. He was scuffling abit when called up. He will get it turned around pretty soon.

I was told he was ready though

[Tapate50]

I was told he was ready though

MLB ready players don't scuffle. THAT is one interesting theory.

[mfree80]

I was told he was ready though

A little patience is in order here my friends.

[thewupk]

A little patience is in order here my friends.

I have tons. But he wasn't tearing up aaa and we lost a year or service time. Just hard to understand these moves.

[GovClintonTyree]

A little patience is in order here my friends.

Right. Guys don't show up in the big leagues fully optimized. It still takes some time to figure things out. That's why all these complaints about "starting the service clock prematurely" are off base.

Guys need time to adjust to the big leagues. They aren't data, they're athletes with emotions and intelligence and muscle memories and all sorts of variables that enter into the equation.

Be data-informed, not data-driven.

[Enscheff]

Right. Guys don't show up in the big leagues fully optimized. It still takes some time to figure things out. That's why all these complaints about "starting the service clock prematurely" are off base.

Guys need time to adjust to the big leagues. They aren't data, they're athletes with emotions and intelligence and muscle memories and all sorts of variables that enter into the equation.

Be data-informed, not data-driven.

Ahh, yes, the good old "players need time to figure things out" argument.

I don't see how it's logical to allow a 22 year old to "figure things out" and forfeit his age 29 peak season rather than letting a 23 year old "figure things out" and keeping him for his age 29 peak season.

I suppose the next tidbit of wisdom will be that players "figure things out" better at age 22 than at age 23? Or some other bit of pseudo-logic?

[UNCBlue012]

I was told he was ready though

He is ready. What kind of dumb statement is this?

[thewupk]

He is ready. What kind of dumb statement is this?

Is he though