Justice Bigbie has gone from a Nineteenth-round draft choose to probably the most promising prospects within the Detroit Tigers system in simply two years time. Taken 555th general in 2021 out of Western Carolina College, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound nook outfielder is coming off his second full skilled season, throughout which he slashed .343/.405/.537 with 19 dwelling runs in 485 plate appearances throughout Excessive-A West Michigan, Double-A Erie, and Triple-A Toledo. The 24-year-old’s 157 wRC+ was tied for seventh highest amongst all minor leaguers with no less than 400 PA.
Bigbie talked hitting, with a major deal with high-velocity coaching, on the conclusion of the Arizona Fall League season, which noticed him log a .749 OPS with the Salt River Rafters.
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David Laurila: In some respects, you got here out of nowhere in placing up huge numbers this yr. Then again, your general monitor document (which features a .350/.426/.539 slash line in 4 collegiate seasons) is that of somebody who has all the time hit. In your thoughts, did you really take an enormous step ahead, or did you largely simply do what you’ve all the time executed?
Justice Bigbie: “I imply, I don’t wish to say that I continued to do what I all the time do. I attempt to proceed to enhance, proceed to get higher every day, and I really feel like I’ve executed that since getting my first style of professional ball in 2021. I’m constantly making tweaks to my swing and bettering what I can enhance on. I believe that’s contributed to the success I had this previous yr.”
Laurila: What kinds of changes did you make?
Bigbie: “Greater than something, I labored on velocity. All people throws arduous these days. The common velocity in skilled baseball retains going up, and it’s going to proceed to maintain going up. As a hitter, you must sustain with that. It’s like, ‘Are you able to hit the arduous fastball?’ You’re going to see mid-90s just about each single night time — even higher 90s — and the extra you see it, the higher you may get at it. And there are alternative ways you’ll be able to practice for that. There are machines you’ll be able to work with that will help you hone in on that velocity.
“That helps you gradual the sport down just a little bit. If you’re within the batter’s field, it may be straightforward to get just a little overwhelmed and really feel like the sport is shifting just a little too quick for you. The higher you’ll be able to practice at larger velocities, and sort of make your offseason hitting extraordinarily robust… I believe that helped me rather a lot going into this previous season.”
Laurila: Is bettering via velocity coaching largely a matter of reps, or do changes come together with it? As an illustration, do it’s worthwhile to tweak your mechanics in an effort to higher deal with what’s coming at you?
Bigbie: “It’s a mix of each. And it’s not enjoyable hitting off of a machine at such a excessive velocity. You’re going to fail a bunch in that cage, which will be extraordinarily irritating. However the extra you do this, the extra you’ll be able to hone in on the mechanics of your swing. You possibly can see the place your swing goes unsuitable, and sort of what must be fastened. I imply, everyone can hit off the tee and off of entrance flips — your swing feels nice doing that — however when you get on the machine and have larger velocity, you’ll be able to see, ‘OK, that is the place I’m not doing what I must be doing on this a part of the swing.’ You possibly can break it down from there.”
Laurila: Hitters will generally cheat to get to excessive velocity in video games, be it consciously or subconsciously. With that in thoughts, can velocity coaching result in dangerous habits? Are you able to subconsciously start reacting to 94-mph fastballs as if they’re coming in at 98-99?
Bigbie: “Yeah, I believe you’ll be able to undoubtedly fall into that sort of dangerous behavior. There’s a superb line, for my part. Studying over the previous couple of years… I imply, I believe there are some probabilities you’ll be able to take, dishonest to a fastball. That’s a part of the sport, particularly with pitchers throwing so arduous. You possibly can often sit on a fastball and cheat to it, seeking to get your barrel to that pitch. However it’s not one thing that you simply wish to constantly do. You don’t wish to depart your self prone to different pitches.”
Laurila: How usually does the group have you ever doing velocity coaching?
Bigbie: “You sort of choose your days, I assume. On the similar time, the coaches do numerous that planning, each in spring coaching and through the season. There are days they’ve mapped out for us with larger velocities, and there are days the place we received’t do larger velocity; we’ll simply tone up our swings just a little bit in order that we really feel good going into the sport. Possibly it will likely be, ‘Hey, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday we’re going to do some larger velocity, and the opposite days we’re going to go just a little bit simpler on the swing.’”
Laurila: How excessive do you dial up the speed?
Bigbie: “So, within the offseason I’ve sort of mapped out my hitting program… possibly not program, however how I plan to function. I’ll begin with a traditional BP fastball for the primary couple of weeks, sort of getting again into issues — getting my swing again beneath me — after which I’ll sort of crank it up just a little extra. With the baseballs, you’ll be able to crank it as much as the low-to-mid-90s, relying on how far you might be from the machine. You possibly can scoot up just a little bit and have it nearer than the 60 ft, six inches that the mound could be.
“This previous yr, I began utilizing the froth balls, simply so it doesn’t damage your fingers as a lot off the machine. I imply, you’ll be able to crank that factor as much as the place it’s near 100, and even 101-102, relying on the place you’re at by way of response time.”
Laurila: What about coaching for elevated fastballs and decrease fastballs? These are two completely different animals.
Bigbie: “The journey fastball is certainly turning into extra prevalent in right this moment’s recreation, so I’ll have a look at my numbers and get in contact with a few of our coordinators and coaches to sort of see what… I imply, I have already got a really feel for what I do effectively and don’t do effectively by way of hitting heaters on the high of the zone and sinkers on the backside. I sort of go from there with what I must work on extra.”
Laurila: Do you are feeling that your swing is extra conducive to dealing with heaters up or heaters which are additional down?
Bigbie: “Personally, I believe that my swing path would most likely be fitter for the heater on the belt. I don’t wish to say the ‘high of the zone,’ as a result of there’s that superb line. Clearly, some hitters can get to that using fastball on the high higher than others, but it surely’s not a pitch that you simply wish to be searching. It’s the identical factor for good sinkers on the backside. You usually can’t actually do a lot with that pitch, both.
“It’s good to hone in on what you hit effectively, however you additionally must work on what you don’t hit as effectively. I sort of exaggerate just a little bit within the offseason, working just a little bit larger and in addition just a little decrease. I’ll work up from the underside of the zone to get these two completely different swing paths proper.”
Laurila: Justin Turner advised me this summer season that with some pitchers, 100 mph doesn’t really feel almost that onerous whenever you’re within the field, whereas with others the ball will get in your extra rapidly than the radar gun suggests it ought to. Is that one thing you’ve skilled?
Bigbie: “Completely. That’s the loopy factor. If you’re going to video games, particularly whenever you’re youthful, the very first thing you do when a pitcher throws a pitch is have a look at the speed. Possibly it says 93, which is about common, however in the event you had been within the field it is likely to be, ‘Oh, that appeared prefer it was 96.’ Or, such as you stated, it’s the opposite approach round. It is likely to be 98 however not really feel prefer it’s 98.
“Pitchers do various things. I imply, everyone has a special extension, a special launch level, a special launch angle. As a result of each pitcher is completely different, each velocity appears completely different. That’s one thing you’ll talk about within the dugout. It’s, ‘Hey, his fastball is 91, but it surely doesn’t really feel like 91.’”
Laurila: Altering route a bit, have you learnt what your exit velocities had been this yr?
Bigbie: “I believe my ninetieth percentile was proper round 106, possibly 107. I’m not precisely certain. I imply, I clearly wish to have a look at that stuff on the finish of the yr to sort of see the place I’m at, however I largely attempt to steer clear of that stuff. If I give it some thought an excessive amount of, it could possibly sort of mess me up just a little bit within the head.”
Laurila: In different phrases, you don’t wish to begin chasing exit velocity. Mainly, you wish to simply deal with squaring up pitches and hitting them arduous?
Bigbie: “Completely. That’s 100% proper. And it’s one thing the coaches I’ve been round, with the Tigers, have executed an amazing job of. They’re not shoving the entire knowledge in our faces, however quite they’re taking a look at sure knowledge factors the place they will say, ‘Hey, this is likely to be just a little bit down, and because of this we predict it’s down.’ We’ll have a look at that, and possibly there are tweaks that must be made to start out hitting the ball just a little more durable once more. There are all the time issues you may get higher at because the season goes alongside.”
Laurila: Altering route yet one more time, you had been a Nineteenth-round draft choose. Do you will have a chip in your shoulder, on condition that over 500 gamers had been taken in entrance of you?
Bigbie: “To be trustworthy with you, I don’t actually give it some thought all that a lot. I actually don’t. Even when it occurred. I don’t suppose I ever even considered it as a chip on my shoulder. I used to be simply grateful to be drafted, and grateful to be getting an opportunity to play skilled baseball. From there, I’ve simply needed to play one of the best baseball I can and show myself one of the best that I can. That’s nonetheless my angle. I simply wish to go on the market and play baseball.”
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Earlier “Talks Hitting” interviews can discovered via these hyperlinks: Jo Adell, Jeff Albert, Greg Allen, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Bates, Jacob Berry, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Charlie Blackmon, JJ Bleday, Bobby Bradley, Will Brennan, Jay Bruce, Triston Casas, Matt Chapman, Michael Chavis, Garrett Cooper, Gavin Cross, Jacob Cruz, Nelson Cruz, Paul DeJong, Josh Donaldson, Brendan Donovan, Donnie Ecker, Rick Eckstein, Drew Ferguson, Justin Foscue, Michael Fransoso, Ryan Fuller, Joey Gallo, Paul Goldschmidt, Devlin Granberg, Andy Haines, Mitch Haniger, Robert Hassell III, Austin Hays, Nico Hoerner, Rhys Hoskins, Eric Hosmer, Tim Hyers, Connor Joe, Josh Jung, Jimmy Kerr, Heston Kjerstad, Steven Kwan, Trevor Larnach, Doug Latta, Royce Lewis, Evan Longoria, Michael Lorenzen, Gavin Lux, Dave Magadan, Trey Mancini, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Marcelo Mayer, Hunter Mense, Owen Miller, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Daniel Murphy, Lars Nootbaar, Logan O’Hoppe, Vinnie Pasquantino, Luke Raley, Brent Rooker, Drew Saylor, Marcus Semien, Giancarlo Stanton, Spencer Steer, Trevor Story, Fernando Tatis Jr., Spencer Torkelson, Mark Trumbo, Justin Turner, Trea Turner, Josh VanMeter, Robert Van Scoyoc, Chris Valaika, Zac Veen, Alex Verdugo, Mark Vientos, Matt Vierling, Luke Voit, Anthony Volpe, Joey Votto, Christian Walker, Jared Walsh, Jordan Westburg, Jesse Winker, Bobby Witt Jr. Mike Yastrzemski, Nick Yorke, Kevin Youkilis