Any Elly De La Cruz love?

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

I'd suggest he stop swinging for the fences so often and concentrate more on getting on base where he could then wreak havoc on the basepaths. And work on his fielding so that he becomes at least a candidate for Gold Gloves.

It's interesting, but his fielding problem is with the most basic plays. No range required. He couldn't cleanly field a routine grounder coming straight at him. I'm hoping that's easier to teach than range or backhanding the ball.

And after hiring Francona, the Reds cleaned house and fired every coach. I'm hoping Francona's aura will inspire higher quality coaches to come to Cincinnati and correct some of EDLC hitting problems.

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[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by packs

He could be a very special player if he spends his time this offseason working on taking a walk. Very few players survive while leading the league in strikeouts.

This is his first full season and the league doesn't seem to have a problem striking him out.

Originally Posted by todeen

And after hiring Francona, the Reds cleaned house and fired every coach. I'm hoping Francona's aura will inspire higher quality coaches to come to Cincinnati and correct some of EDLC hitting problems.

He should be taught to hit the ball where it's pitched as opposed to swinging where he's likely to hit the ball furthest. And not to swing at the ball at all if it's not in the strike zone.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

He should be taught to hit the ball where it's pitched as opposed to swinging where he's likely to hit the ball furthest.

That's not the current way of MLB. Every team is controlled by launch angle, and exit velocity. Not many people swing like Arraez, although it might suit Elly.

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[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by todeen

That's not the current way of MLB. Every team is controlled by launch angle, and exit velocity.

Well then fire all the bums who are coaching these days and hire some who know how the game should be played!

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

And not to swing at the ball at all if it's not in the strike zone.

I've watched every single inning the Reds have played. Elly's problem is definitely not swinging at balls. If anything, it's laying off close pitches as umps consistently ring him up looking on pitches that were balls, or on the edges. He was 236th in chase rate at 26.9% out of 584 hitters. That puts him firmly in the top half of the league. Frankly, his biggest problem is missing pitches he should hit. He swings and misses on center cut fastballs early in the count far too often. If he starts obliterating those pitches, he won't have to deal with the borderline pitches later in the count.

And as for his defense, he had 15 outs above average, which was 4th best for a shortstop in all of major leagues. It was pointed out above, that his fielding percentage is lower because of a lot of errors on routine plays, but his ability to make plays that no one else can more than makes up for the errors. His OOA already puts him in gold glove conversation. If he cuts down on errors, his defense could be legendary.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

Frankly, his biggest problem is missing pitches he should hit. He swings and misses on center cut fastballs early in the count far too often. If he starts obliterating those pitches, he won't have to deal with the borderline pitches later in the count.

The problem then may therefore be precisely that he's trying to obliterate those pitches instead of hitting the ball where it's pitched.

New Reds' Manager Terry Francona should sit down with Cruz and ask him whether he wants to be mentioned in the same breath as Ricky Henderson and Lou Brock in twenty years or whether he wants to be forgotten as just another Willie Mays or Hank Aaron wannabee who flamed out early trying to be something he wasn't. Cruz should be hitting low line drives and using his speed to stretch his hits into extra base hits. Maybe Francona should take a cue from the manager of the Major League movie and fine Cruz every time he hits a high fly ball.

What's Ricky Henderson doing? Maybe the Reds should hire Henderson as a hitting coach. Henderson knew that a fellow had to get on base first before he could steal the next one. That's something Cruz needs to learn.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

The problem then may therefore be precisely that he's trying to obliterate those pitches instead of hitting the ball where it's pitched.

Um, obliterating a center cut fastball IS hitting a center cut fastball where it is pitched. If you aren't trying to obliterate that pitch, you probably shouldn't be playing.

And Elly has some of the top exit velocities in the game. He absolutely has the skill set to be a home run hitter, and he shouldn't abandon that off the charts power tool he possesses trying to stretch singles into doubles. There are few human beings in the history of baseball with the skill set Elly possesses. Not even the aforementioned Mays/Aaron. And no one told Mays to stop hitting homeruns. If his hit tool is good enough to hit low line drives consistently, then it's good enough to hit homeruns consistently, given his power. The problem isn't trying to hit for power, it's the bat to ball skill in the hit tool that needs a little work. Once it's there, watch out. But no manager in his right mind will be trying to restrict that prodigous power. Elly's ceiling is so far above Lou Brock, it isn't even funny. And Rickey wasn't Rickey without the power. It's his power/speed combo that made him legendary. And Elly has Rickey speed, but Mantle power. His ceiling is even above Rickey if he continues to develop. He's 22 after all and put up power/speed numbers even Rickey never achieved. It would be foolish to stifle that now. Let him grow into what he can be.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

Um, obliterating a center cut fastball IS hitting a center cut fastball where it is pitched. If you aren't trying to obliterate that pitch, you probably shouldn't be playing.

If his hit tool is good enough to hit low line drives consistently, then it's good enough to hit homeruns consistently, given his power.

Wade Boggs wouldn't agree. I still remember him saying that any of his home runs were mistakes on his part because it meant that he got too far under the ball. I believe Rod Carew would have disagreed as well. And remember Ty Cobb's reply when asked about the home runs Babe Ruth was hitting? "I'd hit more home runs too if they were worth hitting."

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

Wade Boggs wouldn't agree. I still remember him saying that any of his home runs were mistakes on his part because it meant that he got too far under the ball. I believe Rod Carew would have disagreed as well. And remember Ty Cobb's reply when asked about the home runs Babe Ruth was hitting? "I'd hit more home runs too if they were worth hitting."

It makes no sense to compare Elly, who has off the charts power, to Wade Boggs and Rod Carew. And Ty Cobb's misunderstanding of analytics shouldn't bear that much weight in this discussion, should it? Telling Elly to adjust his approach to not hit for power isn't like telling Tony Gwynn to not hit for power, it's like telling Mickey Mantle to not hit for power. See the difference?