50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
Crazy that so many even questioned if albies could hit 20 in a season.
There wasn't much in Albies' minor league portfolio that suggested he'd be able to hit with the power he has shown, but a lot of guys develop the ability to drive the ball as they physically mature (my guess is he's probably 20-25 pounds heavier than when he was first signed) and gain experience. I think the question wasn't whether he could hit for power. It was more what might change, and perhaps what he might have to surrender, as a hitter if he were to concentrate more on driving the ball and launch angle. His FB% this year is about 10 percentage points higher than it has been in any other season and his LD and GB percentages are lower (LD not by much). As Deester has pointed out over the years, Albies has a plus hit tool so, for him, it may be just been making adjustments. Not everyone can do that, but that doesn't mean the skepticism about his power potential was unwarranted.