Since 2021, Ke’Bryan Hayes is the chief in OAA amongst all infielders. As among the best defenders within the sport, his ground could be very excessive. Even along with his profession 87 wRC+, he has nonetheless been value about 3 WAR per 162 video games. If he could possibly be a constantly common offensive participant, he’d be one of the crucial worthwhile gamers at his place. It is a story everyone knows. Along with his identify swirling in commerce rumors, you need to think about different groups are interested by the chance extra so now than previously. His points stem from his suboptimal swing path, and if he’s traded, that can be what his new hitting coach tries to repair.
Within the final calendar yr (459 plate appearances), Hayes has a 60 wRC+. That’s dangerous! However regardless of these struggles, it’s not like he’s utterly missing offensive skill. His bat velocity is just a bit of under common. His strikeout and whiff charges are higher than league common over the previous three seasons. He hits the ball onerous most of the time, and he chases at about a median price. These are all issues you could possibly work with in the event you’re making an attempt to fabricate a league common hitter. However in the event you’re doing all this and your path isn’t working in a great route, you’ll all the time have limitations on what you do while you truly make contact.
Among the key batted ball metrics that summarize Hayes as a hitter are his second-percentile pulled fly ball price, his Eleventh-percentile groundball price, and sixth-percentile Candy-Spot%. My preliminary response when every of those metrics is that Hayes have to be getting handcuffed and making contact manner too deep within the zone (or deep relative to his heart of mass). In the event you can’t preserve the ball off the bottom, it is a logical estimation. However apparently sufficient, he’s truly thirty fourth out of 219 certified hitters this yr in terms of level of contact versus heart of mass. Earlier than explaining precisely how that oddity can occur, we’ve to take a look at Baseball Savant’s bat path highlighter. It’s best to grasp by seeing for your self:
Discover something particular? Take note of the overlay of his bat as soon as the downswing will get going. It takes an extremely very long time for him to get his bat sloping on an upward airplane that matches the angle of the pitch. In the event you’re continuously working by way of a unfavourable assault angle, then it’s going to take you extra time and house to get to a constructive one. In different phrases, the one superb contact level he has to get any elevate is manner out in entrance of the plate. If he had a constructive slope earlier on, he’d have extra room for error. The following clip reveals the identical section as above however with an arrow that guides you thru the method of his assault angle.
Similar factor right here: That arrow is pointing downward for many of the swing. The very best hitters within the league both match the airplane early (assume a contact hitter with a flatter swing) or work from a constructive angle very early on (assume a man with gentle tower energy). A swing that takes so long as Hayes’ does to match planes goes to generate a ton of groundballs.
OK, now that I’ve framed his swing, I wish to present you the same hitter with an similar common assault angle (5 levels) on the season whom I believe is an inexpensive comparability to Hayes, albeit with higher efficiency: Alec Bohm. Like Hayes, Bohm’s bat velocity is barely under common, and he has the identical assault angle; the distinction is Bohm has managed a 102 wRC+ over the course of his profession. Why is that? Properly, let’s have a look at the identical section of his swing with the arrow highlighting the development of his assault angle:
He will get to a impartial angle earlier in his swing. Most of that’s associated to how his fingers make their entry into the hitting zone. His fingers begin behind his heart of mass after which work by way of the airplane of the ball. Don’t get me mistaken, he doesn’t have the best bat path – that’s precisely why I’m referencing him – however not like Hayes, Bohm doesn’t have a hitch that disrupts the airplane his fingers and barrel are shifting on. I do know it could be a bit of troublesome to see that, so I’ve put two screenshots under of the second the place every participant will get to a zero-degree assault angle:
Bohm
Hayes
The small dots over every joint are extremely useful right here. Bohm is attending to a impartial airplane nearer to his again hip, whereas Hayes’ bat is totally forward of his heart of mass, which means he will get on airplane later in his swing. That slender distinction between them is sufficient to give Bohm extra room for error to create launch at totally different depths within the strike zone. And as I stated, it’s not like Bohm has among the best paths within the recreation. He’s a league common hitter with a contact and gap-to-gap profile. If Hayes was to mannequin his superb recreation, it’d look one thing like Bohm’s.
Now that the prognosis is in place, it’s time to determine on the place Hayes ought to goal adjusting inside his swing. Let’s proceed to concentrate on Hayes’ first transfer along with his fingers:
His knob is on a diagonal line downward for nearly everything of this section of the swing. Usually, when a hitter has their preliminary entry into the slot from the place they wish to hearth, the knob of their barrel both straightens out or begins working upward. Hayes’ works down. That’s what old-school of us have all the time known as a pushy swing. His fingers are pushing ahead too early relative to when he rotates. It’s very troublesome for him to get his barrel below the ball with any variability.
Adjusting out of this may go in a number of instructions. One easy possibility is to start out along with his fingers decrease relative to the place they’re now in order that he can’t push down when he begins swinging. Although if he feels comfy within the greater slot, he may additionally take away the verticality of his barrel throughout his stance and bat comb, as a result of proper now, he isn’t in a position to flip the angle of his barrel quick sufficient to get on airplane in time. Right here’s a fast GIF of him in his setup and row to indicate you what I imply:
There’s quite a lot of a motion happening, and that’s how his barrel will get on airplane. That is extra of a philosophical idea, however when a hitter has a flatter swing (decrease tilt, decrease assault angle, and many others), I’ve hassle understanding why they wouldn’t additionally begin flatter throughout their stance or their row. By beginning vertically and making an attempt to flatten out, you’re throwing your physique’s rotation off the pure path it needs to maneuver on. There’s a purpose why not quite a lot of hitters can swing like Ronald Acuña Jr. It’s simply troublesome to repeat. When doubtful, you would possibly as properly simplify issues as a lot as doable.
If the Pirates determine to commerce Hayes, the crew that acquires him ought to recommend no less than one of many modifications I prescribed above to repair his bat path, and he ought to totally embrace it. There’s quite a lot of room for progress right here, he simply must put himself in a greater place for achievement.