TT: Wieters bat becoming a liability from left side

[El Gordo]

Career numbers

Lefty: 249/318/396 - 714 OPS

Righty: 283/352/475 - 827 OPS

Those are some pretty pronounced differences. 80 points less in SLG, 30 less in OBP, 30 less in AVG.

For 2012, it was even more pronounced....granted his lefty hitting was in line with his career.

2012

Lefty: 224/303/412 - 715 OPS

Righty: 323/404/504 - 908 OPS

The unfortunate situation is that the majority of games are against righties. In 2012 he had 442 plate appearances hitting as a lefty, but only 151 as a righty.

The big issue, of course, whether his numbers hitting as a righty against righties would be better than him hitting as a lefty.

Apparently he's done it before, oddly enough. It's only happened in 7 plate appearances. In those 7 appearances he's walked once, struck out once, and had 2 hits. Obviously low sample size...and curious why he did it. But it's something to consider since he's done it before.

The 7 PA were in two games against Wakefield. Meaningless IMO.

[SerenityNow]

Career numbers

Apparently he's done it before, oddly enough. It's only happened in 7 plate appearances. In those 7 appearances he's walked once, struck out once, and had 2 hits. Obviously low sample size...and curious why he did it. But it's something to consider since he's done it before.

See my post above.

[LookitsPuck]

Meaningless due to a SSS, not because it's Wakefield. The question is: why did he bat from the right hand side against him? Movement?

Curious why they don't give it a shot. No precedent for it?

[MachadOboutManny]

Delete my post? How strange...

So, Many Os fans, as well as the gentleman who wrote the article I posted about Brian Roberts needing to "Ditch the Switch", were calling for BRob to stop switch hitting. This guy went on to say that Brian Roberts would be doing himself and his team a service if he would give up switch hitting in 2008.

Roberts did not give it up. In 2008 his splits were:

LHB: .289ba -- .373obp -- .445slug -- .818ops

RHB: .313ba -- .389obp -- .462slug -- .851ops

Switch hitters have to develop from 2 sides of the plate and it stands to basic reason that it would take a switch hitter longer to be very productive from both sides. It was reasonable to expect he would take longer to develop as a hitter because he is working on 2 swings at the mlb level.

Im glad Roberts didn't give it up.

[El Gordo]

Delete my post? How strange...

So, Many Os fans, as well as the gentleman who wrote the article I posted about Brian Roberts needing to "Ditch the Switch", were calling for BRob to stop switch hitting. This guy went on to say that Brian Roberts would be doing himself and his team a service if he would give up switch hitting in 2008.

Roberts did not give it up. In 2008 his splits were:

LHB: .289ba -- .373obp -- .445slug -- .818ops

RHB: .313ba -- .389obp -- .462slug -- .851ops

Switch hitters have to develop from 2 sides of the plate and it stands to basic reason that it would take a switch hitter longer to be very productive from both sides. It was reasonable to expect he would take longer to develop as a hitter because he is working on 2 swings at the mlb level.

Im glad Roberts didn't give it up.

Weiters RH splits have been:

.804 OPS

.744

.662

.714

A GG C with a .700 OPS is pretty valuable. Since you have the added value of him mashing LHP, it certainly seems better to let him work on improving from the LH side than having him start from scratch against RHP, and waiting the 2-4 seasons it could take him to attain .700 OPS from the RH side v RHP.

[waroriole]

The very fact that there are people who can hit major league pitching both right handed and left handed is astonishing. I don't think any of us has any idea if dropping one side in favor of the other is possible. It's certainly not going to happen during the season, and probably not ever.

[eddie83]

Meaningless due to a SSS, not because it's Wakefield. The question is: why did he bat from the right hand side against him? Movement?

Curious why they don't give it a shot. No precedent for it?

A lot of guys hit from the same side vs knuckleball pitchers, I remember Robbie Alomar doing it. Players worry it screws their swing up. This guy has been facing righties from the left side for many years, I think it is a lot harder of a switch than people think.

[El Gordo]

Meaningless due to a SSS, not because it's Wakefield. The question is: why did he bat from the right hand side against him? Movement?

Curious why they don't give it a shot. No precedent for it?

Facing Wakefields 75 mph butterfly, is a lot different than facing Verlander's 100mph FB. It's meaningless because a knuckle baller is so unlike normal pitching. Hitting a knuckle ball is something like swatting a fly. I bet Wieters swats flies right handed as well.

[wildcard]

DD and Buck at well aware of Wieters splits and that was one of the reasons (maybe the main reason) that why they were looking for a MOO bat all winter. They didn't find one they wanted and could afford so now they have to deal with Wieters splits.

I think if Wieters in not able to hit better vs righties then there will be a deadline deal to acquire another hitter.

[mikethegimp]

Nobody's going to address the fact that he doesn't even look like he wants to hit? No aggression. No fire. He's not being patient. And that's from both sides of the plate.

[Dipper9]

Anyone else think its odd that we have at least 5 threads right now about Wieters struggles at the plate, yet as recent as 2 days ago there are reports from Buster Olney that the O's have offered a six year extension? Are the Orioles offering ow money due to Wieters current struggles, or is Matt just banking on the fact that he can get more money? With the way he has hit in his major league career (ie, okay but not nearly what everyone predicted he'd be) you would think Wieters and Boras would be all over a 6 year extension, even if its a lowball offer. He could end up playing himself out of a huge deal in the next year or two.

[OFFNY]

Facing Wakefields 75 mph butterfly, is a lot different than facing Verlander's 100mph FB. It's meaningless because a knuckle baller is so unlike normal pitching. Hitting a knuckle ball is something like swatting a fly. I'll bet Wieters swats flies right-handed, as well.

That's probably correct, since his throwing hand is his right.

[MachadOboutManny]

Weiters RH splits have been:

.804 OPS

.744

.662

.714

A GG C with a .700 OPS is pretty valuable. Since you have the added value of him mashing LHP, it certainly seems better to let him work on improving from the LH side than having him start from scratch against RHP, and waiting the 2-4 seasons it could take him to attain .700 OPS from the RH side v RHP.

Yeah, the young man is 26. It takes longer to be consistent from both sides at this level, you don't get as much time on one side of the plate. I want to sign him long term now and when hes 28/29-33 I think he'll be a great bat from both sides. I expect him to struggle from one side more than the other and to struggle in general as a 26 year old switch hitting catcher. Patience people. It will pay off.

[Norfolk orioles]

I think he really needs to shorten his stroke....by a lot.

Just become a Mauer like hitter, go for single and doubles, not home runs, and if home runs come so be it but don't keep swinging for the fences, shorten up the stroke significantly and become a purely contact hitter from that side of the plate.

Of course, all of that is much much easier said than done. There really is no easy simple fix, but to those who think this isn't a big deal just because of the sss aren't paying attention.

His stroke hasn't been off....it's been horrendous. How many balls has he even hit out of the infield from that side of the plate? I doubt it's very many. That's a problem.

[MachadOboutManny]

Decent swing, that.