Pablo Sandoval

[calsnowskier]

Ultimately, his personal issues really can explain his drop in BABIP. If you are not there mentally, you are not swinging the bat with the same confidence and you will get under the ball or over the ball or just in front or just after.

His personal life appears to at least be on the way to recovery, so there is no reason to not expect at least some kind of recovery this year

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

 

[gp956]

Awesome stuff. But since he's a switch-hitter, I'm having trouble figuring out if indeed he was pitched inside less (doesn't look like it if I envision him up there from the left side).

A couple of things that I've dug up.

FanGraphs says he did swing at more pitches outside the zone in 2010, and fewer within the zone.

He put fewer balls in play on the first pitch than he did in 2009, but did great when he did so.

He was abysmal when he got behind in the count, when there were runners on base, and on the road.

He was great when putting the first pitch in play, when leading off innings, when he got ahead in the count 1-0 (especially if it got to 2-1), and at home.

His power obviously dropped, with his home run per fly ball rate dropping from 14% to 7% (so even though he hit more flies, they were more outs).

But his contact rate was actually better on pitches in or out of the zone in 2010 than 2009.

Pitchers gave him fewer fastballs and cut fastballs, and more sliders, curves, and changeups. Where he had had positive runs above average on all but sliders in 2009, it was only on fastballs in 2010 (and that dropped from 20.8 runs above average to 2.2).

Against curves, he was particularly lost this year compared to last, going from 7.9 runs above average to 8.1 below.

Walk rate slightly down, strikeout rate stable, ground ball rate stable, line drives down slightly, fly balls up slightly, infield flies up 50%.

I think he was thinking too much up there, perhaps due to Bam-Bam Meulens' influence. They need to leave the Panda alone when he gets up to the plate (well, one plate, at least .

These maps are leftside only. This isn't strictly an in-zone , out-zone comparison. Panda has shown himself to be able to handle pitches a balls width outside the zone exceptionally well. What we attempted to show here is that pitchers weren't pitching him outside the zone, way outside or otherwise, any more than in his "rookie" year. What the graphs do show I think, is that Panda just didn't handle pitches in the zone as well - and not that he suddenly started swinging at slop (he's always swung at slop).

 

[calsnowskier]

ESPN.com: San Francisco Giants Message Board

Looks like we may have a lurker...

 

[tzill]

ESPN.com: San Francisco Giants Message Board

Looks like we may have a lurker...

Rammer or Sandwich?

 

[calsnowskier]

Rammer or Sandwich?

I was referring to NN. He basically made the exact point GP has been making...

Panda has not changed his swing pattern, he simply is not connecting as well.

 

[gp956]

I was referring to NN. He basically made the exact point GP has been making...

Panda has not changed his swing pattern, he simply is not connecting as well.

Well then, I'm either completely wrong or my take is obvious.

 

[Heathbar012]

I was referring to NN. He basically made the exact point GP has been making...

Panda has not changed his swing pattern, he simply is not connecting as well.

Has he paid his fucking dues?! No free viewing, Peeping Nolan! Filo, attack!

 

[tzill]

I was referring to NN. He basically made the exact point GP has been making...

Panda has not changed his swing pattern, he simply is not connecting as well.

Funny, but when GP makes it, it doesn't seem like a power whine.

 

[tzill]

Well then, I'm either completely wrong or my take is obvious.

Which is better than being obviously wrong...a TRUE NN forte.