Originally Posted by
striker42
I posted this in another thread.
One really concerning trend with Duvall is the number of infield flies hes been hitting. An infield flyball is essentially a srikeout. His IFFB% has been trending up. In 2016 it was 8.1%, in 2017 it was 12.0%, and this year it's 15.3% (league average is 11%).
When a hitter is seeing his bat slowing down he'll start being a little late on fastballs and start skying them straight up. Look at Dan Uggla's IFFB numbers for comparison. In 2010 (last year with the Fish) 6.8%, in 2011 (first year in Atlanta) 11.9%, in 2012 it was 16.9%.
Considering Duvall's age (30), it wouldn't be surprising if his bat speed was slowing a hair causing him to pop more balls up.
Another concerning stat for Duvall is his HR/FB. That has also been trending down. It was 17.8% in 2016, 14.9% last year, and just 12.1% this year. Considering Duvall's FB% has remained steady and his HR/FB has dropped, and considering his age, there's a very, very real chance that Duvall's power is declining.