TT: Wieters bat becoming a liability from left side

[Tony-OH]

http://www.orioleshangout.com/blog/tonys-take/513/wieters-bat-becoming-a-liability-from-left-side

[Frobby]

No doubt Wieters is in a slump from the left side right now, but I'm not ready to push the panic button. I'd be more worried if he was striking out a ton, but he's only struck out 4 times in 34 PA from that side of the plate.

[clapdiddy]

Agree wholeheartedly. I suggested in another thread that he (and Hardy) needs to be moved down in the order against RHP.

[SteveO]

No doubt Wieters is in a slump from the left side right now, but I'm not ready to push the panic button. I'd be more worried if he was striking out a ton, but he's only struck out 4 times in 34 PA from that side of the plate.

:agree:

34 PA is not enough of a sample to really get to worked up about IMO.

You bring up an excellent point about making contact.

[Tony-OH]

No doubt Wieters is in a slump from the left side right now, but I'm not ready to push the panic button. I'd be more worried if he was striking out a ton, but he's only struck out 4 times in 34 PA from that side of the plate.

The biggest issue I have is this "slump" is continuing a trend over the last two seasons. With the majority of at bats going to come from this side of the plate, it's really surprising to see him hit poorly from this side of the plate, especially considering he was such a strong left-handed stick his first few years in the majors and in the minors. He's not going to hit sub .400 OPS from the left-side of the plate, so he's going to be better, but the question is becoming, how much better?

[clapdiddy]

:agree:

34 PA is not enough of a sample to really get to worked up about IMO.

You bring up an excellent point about making contact.

Making contact is one thing, but he's not hitting the ball with any authority from the left side. He had that same problem last season as well.

I'm hopeful that this could be a small sample size, but it's not something that's just started this year.

[Tony-OH]

:agree:

34 PA is not enough of a sample to really get to worked up about IMO.

You bring up an excellent point about making contact.

And you bring up a poor point or don't get mine. This isn't over 34 PAs. This is a trend he's had over the last two seasons. If you want to ignore the last two seasons fine, but don't act like I'm getting "worked up" over 34 PAS.

[Frobby]

The biggest issue I have is this "slump" is continuing a trend over the last two seasons. With the majority of at bats going to come from this side of the plate, it's really surprising to see him hit poorly from this side of the plate, especially considering he was such a strong left-handed stick his first few years in the majors and in the minors. He's not going to hit sub .400 OPS from the left-side of the plate, so he's going to be better, but the question is becoming, how much better?

It's definitely puzzling. I remember asking Wieters about his reversal of fortune as a R/L hitter at last year's (2012) Fanfest, and he just shrugged hsi shoulders and said, "Yeah, it's kind of funny, isn't it. Just one of those things." It would be great if he could ever get his act together from both sides at the same time.

[waroriole]

No doubt Wieters is in a slump from the left side right now, but I'm not ready to push the panic button. I'd be more worried if he was striking out a ton, but he's only struck out 4 times in 34 PA from that side of the plate.

A lot of that contact is just weak grounders to 2B. I said last year that I think he's too tall in his stance, and when he gets low pitches he can't get down far enough to put a good swing on them, and just hits the top of the ball and grounds out a lot.

[Brendan25]

Matt Wieters is starting to piss me off at the plate. So awful from the left side. I've been the one to say give him time, but there is zero growth.

[TonySoprano]

Is this a liability from batting on the left side or is it a problem he has with right-handed pitchers in general? In other words, would he bat better against RHPs right-handed? In his career, he only has 7 PAs batting right-handed vs. a RHP, so obviously we can't draw any conclusions from that. It's time for the Orioles to see where the problem really is and let him bat right-handed full time.

[Say O!]

A lot of that contact is just weak grounders to 2B. I said last year that I think he's too tall in his stance, and when he gets low pitches he can't get down far enough to put a good swing on them, and just hits the top of the ball and grounds out a lot.

He certainly does appear to have great difficulty with pitches at the knees from the left-hand side. Which is uncharacteristic of lefties, who in general are good low-ball hitters.

Maybe he's too tall in his stance, but Chris Davis does just fine upright. To me it looks like his timing is all off from that side, with his stride coming down far too early producing a weak, roll-over swing.

[SteveO]

And you bring up a poor point or don't get mine. This isn't over 34 PAs. This is a trend he's had over the last two seasons. If you want to ignore the last two seasons fine, but don't act like I'm getting "worked up" over 34 PAS.

I was pretty much agreeing with Frobby regarding the sample size this season. The numbers to this point .133 are even bad comparatively to last season. He hit .235 and .224 as LH in 2011 and 2012. The numbers he has put up to this point are more related to sample size. He is not going to hit .133 all year or so I hope. That said I expect he will be in the .235-..240 range as LHB as he has been for the past two seasons. This is not news...Matt has struggled as a LHB for the last two complete seasons. I totally got your point. Its just that your point is not anything new. The only new thing about its that the numbers are worse than they have been the PAST TWO FULL SEASONS....which IMO is due to sample size.

I do realize its a bit of a trend over the past 2 season but here is the more important question....what other options are there even if its one that continues.

Start Taylor Teagarden? Even batting LH Matt brings more to the table as a catcher than Teagarden IMO.

[SteveO]

The guy has hit .235 and .224 as a LH in 2011 and 2012. Expecting a lot more than say .250 as a LHB is kinda unfair IMO. This is pretty much who he is as a batter. He may hit a little better or worse as a LHB (2010 hit .265 as LHB) in a given season but he is a seasoned player....I think what you see is what you get with Matt. He will likely never be the offensive force some thought he would be but the defense he brings helps mitigate that IMO.

[waroriole]

He certainly does appear to have great difficulty with pitches at the knees from the left-hand side. Which is uncharacteristic of lefties, who in general are good low-ball hitters.

Maybe he's too tall in his stance, but Chris Davis does just fine upright. To me it looks like his timing is all off from that side, with his stride coming down far too early producing a weak, roll-over swing.

I'm certainly no hitting instructor, just what I see with my untrained eyes. But, it does make sense, logically. If you're not crouched enough in your stance, (and he does stand almost straight up) and you're 6'5", and you roll over every pitch you hit at your knees, my initial response is that you need to get lower in your stance.