BJ's New Stance

I could only get the first two swings to play before the video stopped working for me, but both swings looked like he was driving the ball the other way. It obviously means very little, but at least it's something!
 
Well, it's not the quietest swing I've ever seen (never understood the stand-open-and-close thing) at least it makes sense now.

One of the things I look for is a flat spot through the arc of the swing (see Chris Johnson - or Chipper or Ted Williams, for that matter) which I believe heightens the opportunity to make solid contact. In other words, the hitter's timing doesn't need to be perfect.

In addition to the 17 pre-swing trigger mechanisms he was using that rendered him unable to hit a fastball over 86 - and helpless as a kitten against breaking stuff - the chance he had of making solid contact was an instant. His swing plane was right for like a millisecond. If everything wasn't perfect, he couldn't hit. This swing has that flat spot I like in addition to cleaning up all that pre-swing crap others have pointed out.

So I'm encouraged. Hope he's grooved enough to carry it over into games and doesn't revert.
 
BremanFan88 said:
I'm sure he won't because one year is enough to erase an entire career performance...
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Career performance? He's been mediocre since day one. Never reached 30 home runs or drove in more than 82 runs in a season. He has always had a poor average and struck out at an alarming rate.
 
NinersSBChamps said:
Career performance? He's been mediocre since day one. Never reached 30 home runs or drove in more than 82 runs in a season. He has always had a poor average and struck out at an alarming rate.
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B.J. Upton had wRC+ of 136 in 2007, 116 in 2008 and 113 in 2011. So the ability to perform at a high level is there. He just needs to get back to that level.
 
AUTiger7222 said:
B.J. Upton had wRC+ of 136 in 2007, 116 in 2008 and 113 in 2011. So the ability to perform at a high level is there. He just needs to get back to that level.
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I don't know what that means. In 07 he did have a fine season. Without a doubt his best in the major leagues. In 2008 the power dropped off a ton, but he remained a decent batting average hitter. It seems to be he has completely ignored being an all around hitter and focused on trying to be a power guy. Evidenced by his "high" home run totals and ridiculous strikeout rate.

I just never thought of BJ as anything, but average at best. I guess other people thought he was a better player before we signed him. I hold out no hope for him this season or any other moving forward. I would love to eat crow about him this season, but I just don't see him making such improvements.

Call this complaining or whining or what have you. I don't really care.
 
NinersSBChamps said:
I don't know what that means. In 07 he did have a fine season. Without a doubt his best in the major leagues. In 2008 the power dropped off a ton, but he remained a decent batting average hitter. It seems to be he has completely ignored being an all around hitter and focused on trying to be a power guy. Evidenced by his "high" home run totals and ridiculous strikeout rate.

I just never thought of BJ as anything, but average at best. I guess other people thought he was a better player before we signed him. I hold out no hope for him this season or any other moving forward. I would love to eat crow about him this season, but I just don't see him making such improvements.

Call this complaining or whining or what have you. I don't really care.
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Well just for a comparison, the best season Heyward has ever put up in wRC+ was 134 in 2010. Heyward's other years have been 96, 121 and 120. Brian McCann has had years of wRC+ of 93 (2005), 142 (2006), 95 (2007), 135 (2008), 119 (2009), 123 (2010), 122 (2011), 87 (2012) and 122 (2013). So, B.J., at his best is pretty good.
 
I don't think we should ever expect BJ at his best again. That was his career year. I'd take league average right now in a heartbeat.
 
thethe said:
I don't think we should ever expect BJ at his best again. That was his career year. I'd take league average right now in a heartbeat.
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That was also his first full MLB season. Guys are supposed to get better after that. Not have a career season right out of the gate and then never do it again or improve. B.J. Upton is not Jeff Francoeur, and I personally think Francoeur's best year was 2007 which was his 2nd full MLB season.
 
thethe said:
I don't think we should ever expect BJ at his best again. That was his career year. I'd take league average right now in a heartbeat.
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BJ at his best was a great player. I will deal with him playing like he did in 10-12. Having a 3+ War in CF instead of the near -1 he gave us last year that's a huge improvement. Hopefully he'll be back to being 105-115 wRC+ with his defense. Defense last year was fine, his offense was the problem.

That said, still wish we had Bourn. Remember when you bet that BJ would be better over his contract than Bourn? Bourn is off to a hell of a head start.
 
AUTiger7222 said:
That was also his first full MLB season. Guys are supposed to get better after that. Not have a career season right out of the gate and then never do it again or improve. B.J. Upton is not Jeff Francoeur, and I personally think Francoeur's best year was 2007 which was his 2nd full MLB season.
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I'll have you know Jeff Francoeur was on the cover of Sports Illustrated!
 
AUTiger7222 said:
That was also his first full MLB season. Guys are supposed to get better after that. Not have a career season right out of the gate and then never do it again or improve. B.J. Upton is not Jeff Francoeur, and I personally think Francoeur's best year was 2007 which was his 2nd full MLB season.
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Actually most players don't improve significantly anymore. Some do of course. But generally you improve slightly or remain about the same. Depends on when you debuted and what your skillset is.

Anyway, Francoeur's best non-rookie braves season JMO was his first full season. His best season offensively was his rookie then 2011. I like Francoeur's 2006 more than 2007 because he was actually swinging at balls. In 2007 he because a punch and judy hitter unless someone hung a pitch. Only think I liked about 07 with him was his walk rate going up. His 2007 though was why his sucked so miserably in 2008. He had so much luck in 07 as a slap hitter that he assumed it would continue not realizing that his swing was way more tailored to a power hitter so when his BABIP failed he was left without his power. If he could have kept his power swing and slightly improved his pitch selection he could have been a better player. That said he managed to stick around the majors for 8 seasons so far and make nearly 26M so I guess I can't knock him too much.
 
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