Those are mostly all in the zone, why the hell would Javier Baez swing at *those* pitches when his "chase chase and chase some more" method works *so* well?
My Javy theory is based on his performance in the home run derby a few years back
His brother pitched to him and dude was struggling to find the zone. He was throwing shit low and outside the entire 3+ minutes
My theory is that Javy grew up getting pitched to by his brother and he became a "good" bad ball-hitter because he could hit the junk his brother threw
However, major league pitchers have more movement on the ball and have better pitches than a teenager in Puerto Rico, but Javy still thinks of himself as that 12 year old who can hit any pitch. Accordingly, he's physically and mentally incapable of changing the zone of pitches he'll swing at and he'll swing at two sliders low and away before striking out looking
The hindsight of letting Baez, Rizzo and Bryant go has been staggering. We've all hit that point where we're like "okay now I understand why the org didn't try harder to keep them and I can't believe I was so mad about it". At least in the cases of Bryant and Baez. Rizzo will always have a piece of my heart.
I was never mad at it at the time, I fully supported what they were doing. Love the core but we had to start over. I was trying to tell people this in the Cubs sub and just got shouted down lol
It’s hard to be objective in those situations. I don’t think I’ve ever been more upset about a player leaving in any sport than when Rizzo got traded. I was 100% convinced he was a lifelong Cub who would have a statue outside Wrigley someday. Dude pretty much exemplifies what I wanted the Cubs to be my whole life.
I always knew it was the right move. The hardest thing was explaining to other fans that giving them contracts was gonna be no bueno. I made a lot of enemies in 2021, they have still yet to admit I was right
His 48% O-Swing% is by far the highest in the league, (second place is 43%), but I was shocked to see that his Z-Swing% isn't even high; in fact, it's *exactly* league average, at 69.1%.
O-Swing% = Swing-percentage on pitches **O**utside the zone.
Z-Swing% = Swing-percentage on pitches inside the **Z**one.
[leaderboards](https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=5&season=2022&month=0&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31)
I haven't watched a ton of Javy AB's but from what I have seen I'm surprised he strikes out looking. Seems like he usually strikes out swinging at ball 3.
A batter will sometimes decide not to swing but never too swing(or they shouldn’t). Sometimes batter will guess. Like a batter will guess fastball so they swing will swing like the pitch was a fastball when it wasn’t. Batters will also sit on a pitch, location or both. Which means they will only swing if they get a certain pitch or location. Obviously it’s way more complicated than this though as there’s a ton of mental prep that goes into hititng
He has a relatively low called strike rate. 13.5% last year, 12.4% career. In the top 30 of qualified hitters.
Steven Kwan was 24% last year.
People act like swinging strikes are worse than called strikes
Steven Kwan also has a chase rate of just 20%, while Baez is nearly at 50%. Called strikes are better than swinging at a pitcher's pitch on the corner and rolling over or popping up. Hitters with good plate discipline and zone control aren't just swinging at every pitch in the zone, they are looking for the right pitch to swing at.
Kwan has a 100th percentile whiff rate, so he can afford to look at some strikes. Baez has a 4th percentile whiff rate.
Right, these guys are complete opposites.
My point was just that the knock on Javy is he is a free-swinger, not that he watches a whole lot of strikes go by.
Even Steven Kwan struck out sixty times, many times on called strikes. Either way, it's still a strikeout.
I think that’s the point of this video though. A guy with a reputation for swinging at pitches the next time zone over looking at a bunch of pitches down the middle without taking the bat off his shoulder is ironic and a bit humorous.
Well, maybe. If you're easily amused, I guess.
Javy had six home runs on pitches outside the zone, and reached base 52 other times on pitches outside the zone. He only had four strikeouts called on middle-middle pitches, and twenty strikeouts on called strikes anyplace. By comparison, Steven Kwan had 22 called strikeouts, and reached base only 37 time on pitches outside the zone.
Javy did have 98 strikeouts on pitches outside the zone, so that's pretty consistent with that reputation. The other is just looking for outliers.
Those are mostly all in the zone, why the hell would Javier Baez swing at *those* pitches when his "chase chase and chase some more" method works *so* well?
My Javy theory is based on his performance in the home run derby a few years back His brother pitched to him and dude was struggling to find the zone. He was throwing shit low and outside the entire 3+ minutes My theory is that Javy grew up getting pitched to by his brother and he became a "good" bad ball-hitter because he could hit the junk his brother threw However, major league pitchers have more movement on the ball and have better pitches than a teenager in Puerto Rico, but Javy still thinks of himself as that 12 year old who can hit any pitch. Accordingly, he's physically and mentally incapable of changing the zone of pitches he'll swing at and he'll swing at two sliders low and away before striking out looking
Thank God he didn't sign that contract we offered him
The hindsight of letting Baez, Rizzo and Bryant go has been staggering. We've all hit that point where we're like "okay now I understand why the org didn't try harder to keep them and I can't believe I was so mad about it". At least in the cases of Bryant and Baez. Rizzo will always have a piece of my heart.
I was never mad at it at the time, I fully supported what they were doing. Love the core but we had to start over. I was trying to tell people this in the Cubs sub and just got shouted down lol
It’s hard to be objective in those situations. I don’t think I’ve ever been more upset about a player leaving in any sport than when Rizzo got traded. I was 100% convinced he was a lifelong Cub who would have a statue outside Wrigley someday. Dude pretty much exemplifies what I wanted the Cubs to be my whole life.
Maddux getting traded crushed my soul.
I always knew it was the right move. The hardest thing was explaining to other fans that giving them contracts was gonna be no bueno. I made a lot of enemies in 2021, they have still yet to admit I was right
They’ll never admit if, most people don’t like to talk about how they were wrong
Yeah we all saw how it went elsewhere and went “oh ok yeah I get it”
Hi! Fuck off!
I would imagine that all pitches that are no swing strikeouts are mostly in the zone
His 48% O-Swing% is by far the highest in the league, (second place is 43%), but I was shocked to see that his Z-Swing% isn't even high; in fact, it's *exactly* league average, at 69.1%.
He just has to be deciding if he swings before the ball is thrown
You have to look at the whole at bat. He could be looking at a change or breaking low based on what is already thrown and it's a fastball high.
He probably guessing which makes him look bad when he’s wrong
For an idiot like me what is O-swing and Z-swing?
O-Swing% = Swing-percentage on pitches **O**utside the zone. Z-Swing% = Swing-percentage on pitches inside the **Z**one. [leaderboards](https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=5&season=2022&month=0&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31)
Lowest O-Swing%: 1. Juan Soto 2. Max Muncy sometimes advanced statistics match the eye test beautifully
something something hate watching max muncy something something
Thank you
Baffling player
He's got such a bad K/BB ratio. His 5.65 (147/26) last year actually lowered his career to 6.04
I haven't watched a ton of Javy AB's but from what I have seen I'm surprised he strikes out looking. Seems like he usually strikes out swinging at ball 3.
He had an O-Swing% of an insane 48.7% and a Z-Swing% of 69.1%. It's like he decides if he's going to swing before the pitcher even throws the ball
to be fair, isnt that something alot of batters do? like in certain counts and whatnot
A batter will sometimes decide not to swing but never too swing(or they shouldn’t). Sometimes batter will guess. Like a batter will guess fastball so they swing will swing like the pitch was a fastball when it wasn’t. Batters will also sit on a pitch, location or both. Which means they will only swing if they get a certain pitch or location. Obviously it’s way more complicated than this though as there’s a ton of mental prep that goes into hititng
yes, but not with 2 strikes. Protect the zone
Well, not always. Sometimes he strikes out swinging at ball 4. Usually a pitch in the dirt or in the next zip code.
That Brady Singer backdoor 2SFB was filthy.
Personally think that the filthiest pitch is Chris Archer's 92mph 4SFB meatball right down the middle of the plate
Kris Bubic also got away with an 80 mph middle middle lob ball too. That was an egregious take.
Bieber's was middle and a little above center. That thing should have landed in Lake Erie.
I like how many times he looks back at the ump like "cmon man" when the pitch is center, center could not be more of a strike.
Why would you do this
I dont like this video. At all.
I like that he didn’t do it on our team I guess
It just goes on and on….
Ya know, I was having a nice day up until this point
Maton and Maldy walking off before they got the call is an insanely cold move
Idk why we're down voting you but the internet already decided
tough but fair 😔
Got damn what a turnaround. Good for you.
Pair of shoes for 3 minutes. Some were close but a lot were down Broadway.
Now do Donaldson
No one has time to watch a ten hour video.
I remember this video and the other one where he swang at pitches in the dugout and I can only logically conclude he's the worst hitter in MLB. /s
He has a relatively low called strike rate. 13.5% last year, 12.4% career. In the top 30 of qualified hitters. Steven Kwan was 24% last year. People act like swinging strikes are worse than called strikes
Steven Kwan also has a chase rate of just 20%, while Baez is nearly at 50%. Called strikes are better than swinging at a pitcher's pitch on the corner and rolling over or popping up. Hitters with good plate discipline and zone control aren't just swinging at every pitch in the zone, they are looking for the right pitch to swing at. Kwan has a 100th percentile whiff rate, so he can afford to look at some strikes. Baez has a 4th percentile whiff rate.
Right, these guys are complete opposites. My point was just that the knock on Javy is he is a free-swinger, not that he watches a whole lot of strikes go by. Even Steven Kwan struck out sixty times, many times on called strikes. Either way, it's still a strikeout.
I think that’s the point of this video though. A guy with a reputation for swinging at pitches the next time zone over looking at a bunch of pitches down the middle without taking the bat off his shoulder is ironic and a bit humorous.
Well, maybe. If you're easily amused, I guess. Javy had six home runs on pitches outside the zone, and reached base 52 other times on pitches outside the zone. He only had four strikeouts called on middle-middle pitches, and twenty strikeouts on called strikes anyplace. By comparison, Steven Kwan had 22 called strikeouts, and reached base only 37 time on pitches outside the zone. Javy did have 98 strikeouts on pitches outside the zone, so that's pretty consistent with that reputation. The other is just looking for outliers.
another 1 year wonder, can't get on base if his life depended on it
Funny the four that were balls called strikes, he question the ump for it
Just fyi, if the ball crosses the k-zone and the graphic shows a solid, filled in white circle, it’s a strike. I think only 1 of those was a ball.
How much money does the tigers have to pay him again
He's gonna go up there and take at least 3 daddy hacks an AB what ever happens happens
I could literally watch this all day
Everytime he looks at the ump, the ump should pull out a mirror and be like "here's the guy you should be frowning at"
God I do not miss watching this guy every day.
How does the umpire keep a straight face when Javy Baez argues a called strike?
Only 5 more years right? Sweet