The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 283

283. The Dignity of a Starter (6)

[For Choi Soo-won, it’s fair to say he primarily relies on two pitches: a fastball and a curveball. With a near overhand delivery, his curveball breaks inside against left-handed hitters and outside against right-handed hitters, making him slightly more challenging for right-handed batters. But a right-handed stance? That’s a rather curious choice.]

Wander Franco, like many switch hitters or left-handed hitters, naturally bats from the right side.

The advantage of a right-handed batter hitting from the left side is that they see the ball thrown by a right-handed pitcher coming from a diagonal angle for a split-second longer. Also, with the right hand lower on the bat, bat control is subtly improved. The top hand mainly generates power, while the lower hand focuses on control.

Therefore, when a naturally right-handed batter stands in the left-handed batter’s box, they sacrifice some power.

‘His deception is so unique that I don’t feel like I’m seeing the ball any better from the left side. I’m better off just trying to pull it with power.’

Wander Franco made that decision, based not only on his own at-bat but also on observing the at-bats of the batters before him.

[Wander Franco had two games last year where he batted right-handed against right-handed pitchers. He actually has better stats from the right side: .389/.431/.577 compared to .288/.346/.427 from the left.]

[With that much difference, shouldn’t he consider switching to a full-time right-handed stance?]

[Not necessarily. His stats are noticeably better against right-handed pitchers when he bats left-handed.]

People often say a hitter is “weak against lefties,” meaning they struggle against left-handed pitchers. But you rarely hear “weak against righties” because right-handed pitchers make up 70-80% of the league. A hitter who struggles against them wouldn’t be a starter for long.

Wander Franco was no exception.

His stats against right-handed pitchers were comparatively weaker, but only relative to his incredible stats against lefties. His weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) [a comprehensive offensive statistic that adjusts for park factors and league averages] from the left side against right-handed pitchers was 113, above league average and considered top-tier for a shortstop.

[Two outs, nobody on! Choi Soo-won winds up!]

First pitch.

A fastball, way inside.

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!”

Second pitch.

A curveball, tempting him outside.

-Thwack!!

And the third.

A low fastball.

-Thwack!!

“Strike!!!”

[Third pitch! Strike! The count is 1-2. Wander Franco calls time.]

[Choi Soo-won is dominating this at-bat. His command is excellent. And, as I was saying, Wander Franco’s stats are better from the left side against righties. Last year, in those two games batting right-handed against right-handed pitchers, he had 1 hit, 1 home run, and 6 strikeouts in 9 at-bats, a .111/.111/.444 slash line [batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage].]

[I see why he’s still a switch hitter. Frankly, I’m wondering why he even bothered batting right-handed just now.]

Wander Franco was a top-tier shortstop with a wRC+ of 113 even against right-handers.

‘Only’ when batting left-handed against them.

Fourth pitch.

A high, outside pitch.

-Whoosh!!!

A curveball that dives sharply and breaks completely outside.

“Strike! Out!”

[Strike! Out! Strikeout! A beautiful curveball gets him swinging! Choi Soo-won strikes out Wander Franco, ending the Tampa Bay Rays’ attack in the bottom of the 3rd with only 1 run allowed.]

[That final pitch was perfect. Choi Soo-won calmly handled the no-out, runners on first and third situation. It could have easily become a big inning.]

[The Yankees’ dugout made the right moves. They stopped the momentum. You can see the difference in his command before and after Coach Harold visited the mound. He’s still young, so that mental support is crucial. Plus, Choi Soo-won hasn’t even spent much time in the minor leagues. His talent is undeniable, among the best in the majors. But we can’t forget that many highly touted prospects had the talent to dominate too.]

[Goodness, Sterling. “Bonus babies” [players signed before the MLB draft existed, often for large bonuses]? What era are you talking about? My father is eighty, and that’s a story from his childhood.]

The score remains 8:1.

Sighs rippled through the Tampa Bay Rays’ stands, which had been briefly energized by the runners on first and third.

“If we don’t win the championship this year, we’re in trouble for a while, right? We really pushed all our chips in.”

“No, we should be competitive for another year or two. Wander Franco’s contract runs through age 32, or 33 with the team option.”

“True, but… there’s no way our team can afford Wander Franco’s salary long-term.”

“Seriously, this team… If they just moved the stadium, it would be so much better. Why are they building the new stadium in this location again? Ugh…”

The Yankees’ fourth inning.

Jacob Carter, a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher for Tampa Bay, took the mound. He was called up last August and posted a respectable 4.36 ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of runs allowed per nine innings] in 17.2 innings. He replaced Mason Montgomery, who was shelled for 8 runs in 1.1 innings in the top of the 2nd.

He and Mason Montgomery competed for the fifth starter spot until the end of spring training. He lost out simply because Montgomery was a left-hander.

***

Major League Baseball’s speed-up rules allow 2 minutes and 15 seconds for half-inning changes.

To bat after fielding, you have to remove your hat and glove, put on your helmet and protective gear, and grab your bat. Plus, your body might be stiff from fielding, so you need to take a few practice swings. If the leadoff hitter is a corner outfielder on the opposite side of the dugout, like the right fielder today, it’s a bit of a rush to walk 100 meters [approximately 328 feet] at a leisurely pace.

I had plenty of time compared to the right fielder. It only took me about 10 seconds to return to the dugout, but 10 seconds out of 2 minutes and 15 seconds is a significant difference.

But still, it felt tight.

The pitch count in the bottom of the 3rd wasn’t high, but maybe the situation was stressful? Or maybe I put too much into the at-bat against Wander Franco. Either way, I came back from a tough at-bat and felt like I was heading straight back to the plate without a breather.

The pitcher is Jacob Carter.

He’s only 24, and his pitches looked good today, but I didn’t recognize him. That’s not unusual. How many promising pitchers throw well for a while but fade away? Even a two-time Cy Young Award [award given annually to the best pitchers in each league] winner at 25 can decline at 28 and retire at 32.

From watching the previous two innings, he mainly throws fastballs and sliders. He also throws a splitter, which is less common. The splitter is a bit inconsistent, so he mainly uses fastballs and sliders against right-handed hitters, but it’s still something to keep in mind.

First pitch.

Fastball.

Slightly center.

Almost a gift to start the at-bat.

It would be a waste of my former home run king title to miss this…

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!!!”

Ah, I thought it was a fastball, but it was a slider.

His tunneling [making different pitches look the same out of the pitcher’s hand] is good. And the velocity is impressive. The scoreboard showed 93.2 miles per hour. A hard slider.

It would be great to add that to my repertoire. My pitching instructor, William, said my frame isn’t fully developed and my arm muscles aren’t strong enough, so the risk of injury is too high. I’ve put it aside for now.

Second pitch.

Another fastball.

High and slightly outside. Almost at eye level. It slipped out of his hand.

-Thwack!!!

The umpire didn’t raise his hand.

If it’s going to be a ball, I wish one would come right down the middle.

Third pitch.

Down the middle.

But the trajectory was different.

Splitter.

A tempting pitch.

-Thwack!!!

[A pitch in the dirt! The count is 2-1. Jacob Carter is wary of Choi Soo-won.]

[He should be. Choi Soo-won is batting .583/.583/1.167 with 7 hits in 12 at-bats, one double, and one home run. At this rate, he could win Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month.]

[Whoa, whoa, calm down, Sterling. It’s only the fifth game, and there are 23 games left this month.]

[I don’t think he’ll maintain this insane performance all month. But even if he keeps it up for a week or two and then gradually declines, it would be enough…]

And the fourth.

It might have been intended as a slider.

Or maybe the fastball just slipped.

But it doesn’t matter.

The pitch came right down the middle without any movement.

Even if I’m pitching, it would be a waste of my former home run king title to miss this.

-Clang!!!!

[…Uwaaaaa!!! He crushed it!! Choi Soo-won!! A rocket!! It’s going, going!! Left-center!! Left-center!!]

[Center fielder Evan Murphy! Chasing it down! Good positioning and a quick start!]

[Will it go over?! Will it go over?! It’s gone!!!! Home run! Home run!!! Screw the shift [defensive alignment designed to take away a hitter’s tendencies]! Haha, let them try it a hundred thousand times. Didn’t Ted Williams [Hall of Fame outfielder known for his hitting prowess] say that? In the end, you just have to pull it over.]

[Huh? Sterling. I thought you were a Joe DiMaggio [another Hall of Fame outfielder] fan, not Ted Williams?]

[Who cares right now! That twenty-year-old is proving that our Yankees’ winter was perfect. If Cashman [Yankees’ General Manager] in New York has seen this replay, he should stop everything and offer Choi Soo-won a long-term contract. The Yankees’ future is here! The last single-digit number is killing it in his debut season, his first appearance!]

A hit that barely cleared the fence.

I was a bit lacking in power after pitching with everything I had. If it weren’t for the Tampa Bay stadium, where the ball carries well, it might have been caught right in front of the wall. But a home run is a home run.

9:1.

Was it because I hit a home run?

I felt great. I thought I could have a perfect performance in the remaining innings.

***

[Choi Soo-won: 5.1 innings, 4 runs allowed. 2 hits in 3 at-bats, 1 home run, and his first win of the season! A perfect debut!]

[Bottom of the 5th. Josh Clinton allows all inherited runners to score.]

[Choi Soo-won: ‘I don’t blame the defense today. I regret my pitching in the 5th. I was aiming for a ground ball double play, but the ball didn’t drop enough, and Wander Franco made a great play. It wasn’t a perfect debut, but I can do better in the future.’]

[Error? Hit? Two questionable calls. Will Choi Soo-won’s 4 earned runs be corrected to 2 earned runs?]