Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut
Just got back and watched the last few innings - tell me what the 'book' on him is.
2 weeks ago you could kill him with soft stuff away from lefties. That pitch he hit off Locke into RC for the lead was the exact same pitch that David Holmberg shredded him with just a week or so ago. I've never really seen him show a weakness in (which actually surprised me a big given his height).
He's just a sound hitter. If you throw him crap, he won't swing at it. If you throw him strikes, he'll battle you. There's nothing particularly terrifying about him as a hitter, but I really wouldn't want to face him with runners on in a key spot either.
He and Grichuk are just polar opposites as hitters. An alternative way of looking at it is that they're very good complementary players; put those two guys in the same lineup and they can do a lot to cover for each other's respective weaknesses.
I'd still really like to see the kid hitting 2 for a bit. This isn't your 'standard' rookie - he came from a baseball factory at Stanford and has been known as a poised, polished hitter his whole career. Even in 2014 when his power vanished, nobody thought his approach had faltered. I think he has the wherewithal to do well up there.
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His ability to cover all the plate and lay off the pitchers pitch reminds me of Carpenters AB's. This guy rarely looks overmatched. Grichuk is the opposite. He looks overmatched way too much. But, he makes up for it with the power.