Darnell Coles

[Natsinpwc]

Do you think Ruiz would have better success if he stopped hitting the ball harder than last year? Maybe hit less barrels?

I think it’s pitch selection. Don’t swing at everything. Wait for pitches in your real power zone. Maybe I’m wrong.

[Natsinpwc]

He had a hurt shoulder in 2022.

He had a .795 OPS in 2021. He currently has an .805. Congratulations to Darnell Coles for getting Candelario back to where he was before he hurt his shoulder.

Why did a guy hurt that bad play 125 games for a bad team. Your in the lineup you’re ready to play.

[Slateman]

Do you think Ruiz would have better success if he stopped hitting the ball harder than last year? Maybe hit less barrels?

I think Ruiz would have better success if he had a competent hitting coach whose philosophy wasnt to just go up and try to make contact with everything.

[Slateman]

Why did a guy hurt that bad play 125 games for a bad team. Your in the lineup you’re ready to play.

For the same reason guys play injured on other teams

[Slateman]

I think it’s pitch selection. Don’t swing at everything. Wait for pitches in your real power zone. Maybe I’m wrong.

Oh you think the key to being a productive hitter is to be more selective at what you swing at?

Thats literally the opposite of Coles philosophy of bat to ball and being aggressive.

[rileyn]

Ruiz and Abrams are afraid to strike out. They don't want to get into 2 strike counts so they swing at everything.  I couldn't begin to tell you what Garcia's approach is, but he is not driving balls like I expected.  There has to be a stat for rolling over on ground balls to 2nd.

[blue911]

Daniel Murphy was great to listen to talk hitting.

[Natsinpwc]

In any event if Coles works for cheap he will keep the job until the team is sold. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Daniel Murphy was great to listen to talk hitting.

there's value in having a smart vet on the roster.

[hotshot]

there's value in having a smart vet on the roster.

Liked Murph's approach to hitting. His Mets Hitting Coaches were Howard Johnson (when he was breaking in) and Dave Hudgens (as he developed). Hudgens is the Blue Jays HC now I think. He has always preached "patience at the plate." Opposite from Coles.

[welch]

Ruiz and Abrams are afraid to strike out. They don't want to get into 2 strike counts so they swing at everything.  I couldn't begin to tell you what Garcia's approach is, but he is not driving balls like I expected.  There has to be a stat for rolling over on ground balls to 2nd.

When Ted Williams became manager, his first words to Frank Howard: "Can you take a pitch?" Hondo's walks jumped from 54 in 1968, and about that in previous years, to 102 and then 132 (AL lead) in 1970. See his strikeouts, as well. Ted seemed to think that being selective was good.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/howarfr01.shtml

[imref]

Since when is player development linear?

[blue911]

Since when is player development linear?

It isn’t. What we’re nagging about is the fact the young hitters don’t have a game plan when it comes to hitting. They simply swat at anything in the strike zone.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It isn’t. What we’re nagging about is the fact the young hitters don’t have a game plan when it comes to hitting. They simply swat at anything in the strike zone.

I am a huge Keibert the Hitter fan, but a guy with a 7% k rate can afford to take some strikes to drive more balls

[Natsinpwc]

Finally they are listening to the coach.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

The Nationals are a contact-first team. It hasn’t always worked out.

But this season, the Nationals have been a contact-first team. MLB instituted rules changes to encourage more contact and balls in play, and the Nationals are very good at that. But that contact hasn’t always been hard contact.
...
Power doesn’t always mean home runs — and the Nationals were 10th in MLB in doubles entering Thursday’s games. But their home run percentage is fourth lowest in the majors at 2.35 percent. And even though they strike out 18.9 percent of the time, second best in the majors, they also walk 6.6 percent of the time, last in the majors.
...
The Nationals have the fifth-highest swing percentage in baseball. When the Nationals have swung, it hasn’t always resulted in hard contact — Washington has the third-lowest exit velocity and the second-lowest barrel percentage in the majors. The Nationals have seen the fewest pitches of any team this season (13,565) yet have the second-most batted balls (2,644).

Davey emphasizes he wants his players to "get a ball you can drive" rather than just be swing-happy. Coles notes the low K and BB numbers show they are not working the counts to get to 2 strikes. As he sees the problem:

“If you’re not walking and then you’re swinging and putting balls in play, then what ends up happening is your on-base percentage starts to go down and then you start to chase numbers instead of taking what the pitcher gives you, take your walk, hand it off to the next guy and keep the line moving that way."

[Slateman]

The Nationals are a contact-first team. It hasn’t always worked out.

Davey emphasizes he wants his players to "get a ball you can drive" rather than just be swing-happy.

So Davey has the exact opposite philosophy as his hitting coach?

[nobleisthyname]

So Davey has the exact opposite philosophy as his hitting coach?

The quote from Coles sounds like he also doesn't agree with the hitting coach.

[Natsinpwc]

Sounds confusing.  I would assume they want batters to swing at early pitches that are in their best hit zones.

Does anyone really think that working counts would result in more home runs for these guys?  I just don’t think the team has enough power hitters. Maybe Ruiz would benefit. Playing Stone more also would help. 

[Slateman]

The quote from Coles sounds like he also doesn't agree with the hitting coach.

Sounds confusing.  I would assume they want batters to swing at early pitches that are in their best hit zones.

Does anyone really think that working counts would result in more home runs for these guys?  I just don’t think the team has enough power hitters. Maybe Ruiz would benefit. Playing Stone more also would help. 

Hard to understand how we're 23rd in runs per game

[Natsinpwc]

Hard to understand how we're 23rd in runs per game

Really?  With that lineup seems a fair result.

[nobleisthyname]

Hard to understand how we're 23rd in runs per game

 

[Slateman]

I rest my case

[JCA-CrystalCity]

We have a new entry for the old thread "Worst Offensive Performance "

[Section214]

We have a new entry for the old thread "Worst Offensive Performance "

Gonna be tough to beat this one.