Its seldom that a young player receives a seven-year deal for $80 million before he hits his arbitration years, but Carlos Gonzalez gets just that from the Colorado Rockies this week. In his first full big league season, he hit 34 home runs and 117 RBIs batting .336/.376/.598. Gonzalez has shown a brilliant mixture of speed and memory since his first pro season in A+ ball using the Diamondbacks in 2006, and has exceed expectations this past season. And much of that is due to his improved plate discipline
Salomon Speedcross 3 Hombre and gratifaction against particular pitches in addition to working the count better.
One of my personal favorite stats pages may be the pitch type value tables, because it tells you not only whether an abundant hitter improved in one season to a different, but by which pitch type. For Gonzalez, he's been hitting fastballs a lot better now since his move from the As towards the Rockies, attaining a 1.67 wFB/C this year, which is fastball run value excellent per 100 pitches (compared to a -1.66 wFB/C using the As in 2008). He has also dramatically improved his hitting against sliders and changeups, reaching single.01 wSL/C and three.81 wCH/C.
Heres a glance at how
Salomon Niños Gonzalez is different his swing behavior yesteryear three seasons from the four main pitch types, fastballs, sliders, curveballs, and changeups:
For comparisons sake, Gonzalez saw about 1353 fastballs, 369 sliders, 237 curveballs, and 272 changeups in 2010. According to his pitch type values, Gonzalez improved his hitting against fastballs, sliders, and changeups and some of this has come with being more aggre sive with swinging at such pitches. Gonzalez was about average against curveballs in 2010, decreasing his swing percentage against such breaking balls.
Perhaps there is another reason besides slightly more aggre sive swinging overall that allowed Gonzalez to hit very well acro s most pitch types this year. For instance, the opposing pitcher may have needed to throw straight fastballs for strikes more regularly because of being behind in the count, great pitches for any power hitter to swing at. Heres a look at how frequently Gonzalez found himself behind within the count vs. ahead in the count (number of all pitches seen):
Ahead in the count (more balls than strikes):2008: 21
Salomon Speedcross 4 Mujer .9%2009: 24.4%2010: 28.2%
Behind in the count (more strikes than balls):2008: 29.6%2009: 28.2%2010: 27.6%
Two strikes:2008: 26.1%2009: 27.4%2010: 24.9%
Though its a bit tougher to prove that getting ahead within the count was the major cause of Gonzalezs improved hitting overall, we can a minimum of make sure Gonzalez has found himself in additional and much more favorable situations in each of the past three seasons. The very first time, Gonzalez was ahead in the count more often than behind within the count in 2010 (almost equal at 28.2% vs. 27.6%).
Gonzalezs strikeout rate improved slightly due to le s two-strike situations, which also allowed him the chance to swing more regularly at the start of the count. At the tender chronilogical age of 25, the hope is the fact that Gonzalez continues to improve his count situations to be able to take advantage of opposing pitchers. Like many free-swinging power hitters, Gonzalez drew le s than 50 walks and struck out over 130 times last season. Its crucial for Gonzalez to carry on adapting to pitchers because they adapt to him, particularly in a league
Salomon Speedcross 3 CS Mujer with pitching rotations like that from the Giants and the Phillies. Hes shown the ability within the bat and speed on the base paths to continue being among the best offensive players in the National League, and progre sive improvement in plate discipline can make him even more dangerous the following seven years.
