It may come to a surprise to some... but ever since Desmond said he admired Guzman's approach at the plate... I've been tracking their pitches per at-bat.
Pudge is the worst only seeing 3.38 pitches per at-bat.
Guzman is second worst at 3.61
Desmond follows at 3.70
I'd love if Desmond followed Nyjer's approach (4.00) compared to Guzman... but what are you going to do? It's not like we have any say over that.
League average is 3.87 btw.
Things in sports often move in cycles. Right now patients and walks and OBP are so highly valued. I have watched a bunch of games this season and not just the Nationals game and I have noticed that pitchers have become robotic in some counts. They get to 0-2 and then throw 2 to 3 pitches out fo the strike zone and the batter stands there with no intention to swing because they know it is coming. It is ingrained in everyones head that the most valuable pitch is strike one. Getting ahead in the count is very important but knowing that a strike is coming on the first pitch I am betting some radical coach is going to start coach his players to be more agressive at the plate. Not agressive in being stupid and swinging at junk but I think pitchers are becoming very pratictable and a good hitting coach can regonize trends. I have noticed some of our hitters watching a first or second pitch right down the pipe for no other reason than to take a pitch. If in theory a hitter does see one good pitch per at bat then when they see a good pitch to hit they should hit it no matter if it is the first pitch or the seventh pitch.
