Jays’ hitters have their own tales of the tape
Some study film, some don’t; how does each Blue Jay get ready for a new pitcher?
MINNEAPOLIS— Joey Votto, the Toronto native and 2010 National League MVP, is a famously cerebral hitter.
The owner of a .314 career batting average and .420 on-base percentage is well known for his encyclopedic knowledge of opposing pitchers and methodical approach at the plate. Miguel Cabrera, the reigning American League MVP and consensus choice for best hitter in the game, meanwhile, relies on his otherworldly eye-hand coordination and photographic memory, disregarding most scouting reports.
Derek Jeter’s the same way, while Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez doesn’t even care to know the opposing pitcher’s name until he steps into the on-deck circle. Suffice to say, successful hitters come in all shapes and sizes, and how they approach the ingame chess match of each at-bat is equally diverse.
Today, major-league players and coaches have access to more information than ever before, but players still have to separate the signal from the noise. So we asked Blue Jays hitters to tell us what they like to know about a pitcher before they face him. Colby Rasmus “I’ll watch video on what he’s doing against the lefties that are similar to me, and just try to go off of that; what they do with runners in scoring position, what they do with nobody on.” Rasmus said the most important information he seeks is the pitcher’s fastball velocity. “If you’ve got a starter that’s throwing 95-plus (miles per hour), obviously you want to kind of get yourself going a little bit, get a little more out front than if they’re throwing 89-90.” Edwin Encarnacion The most ardent student of video in the clubhouse, Encarnacion tries to absorb as much information as he can before he faces a pitcher. “I like to know everything. I scout on the computer every day before the game so I can have an idea when I go to the plate what I will see. What he likes to throw with runners on base, in scoring position, how his fastball moves, what’s his secondary pitch, what he throws when he’s behind in the count, when he’s ahead, all of that.” Jose Reyes Reyes, who won the 2011 National League batting title, is the opposite. He likes to keep things simple. “I’m not a video guy. You’re almost never going to see me in the video room. I don’t want to put too much in my head when I play the game.” Reyes only cares to know two things about an opposing pitcher: how hard he throws and what’s his best pitch. “If he gets me to two strikes, he’s going to throw the best pitch that he’s got.” Jose Bautista Like Encarnacion, Bautista tries to gather as much information as he can. “I like to know their comfort zones so I know what their go-to pitch is going to be in certain situations and I can make sure that I take educated guesses instead of just sitting on pitches when I’m at the plate.” In recent years he has also started to study pitchers’ location patterns. “Normally a pitcher has a preference with each pitch, to throw it on one side of the plate or the other. I didn’t think was a big deal at first, and then when I started getting into it, I noticed a lot of trends.” Adam Lind “The best thing I like to have is experience,” said Lind, the veteran designated hitter now in his ninth season. “Nothing compares to having already faced the guy.” Lind was the only Jays hitter who said he doesn’t care much about a pitcher’s velocity. He does, however, pay close attention to how the pitcher’s fastball moves — whether it’s straight or sinking. He’ll only study video of relievers he has never faced and will occasionally look at a reliever’s pitchtype usage by percentage. Dioner Navarro “I don’t like to know much,” said Navarro, who hit .300 in a backup role with the Cubs last year. “My No.1 thing is how hard he throws — that’s it.” Navarro said he doesn’t care about a pitcher’s other pitches because he’s only looking to hit the fastball anyway. Other information is just noise, he said. “You can’t think and hit at the same time.” Melky Cabrera In broken English, Cabrera — who extended his season-long hit streak to 14 games on Tuesday — said he doesn’t watch much video, tends to skim the scouting reports and chats with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer only occasionally. He said he mostly relies on his instincts when he’s at the plate. “If the fastball’s there, I swing.” Brett Lawrie “I just like to know his top two pitches to righties,” said Lawrie, who prefers studying video to reading scouting reports. “If he has a slider and curveball, I like to know what he likes to throw more. And what he does with two strikes. That’s pretty much it. I like to keep it simple.” Ryan Goins The Jays’ rookie second baseman said he studies a little video to try to identify patterns a pitcher falls into, but most important is getting a sense of the movement of his pitches. “If it’s sinking, if it’s straight, cutting or whatnot.” Maicer Izturis The veteran infielder, who suffered a knee injury on Sunday and could be out the rest of the season, said he pays attention to a pitcher’s tendencies in certain situations and talks to his teammates in between innings to glean as much information as he can. Jonathan Diaz Noted far more for his glove than his bat, Diaz, who has spent the bulk of his career in the minors and was called up as an injury replacement for Reyes, said he studies both video and scouting reports.
“You suck it up in there and get some almost-like PowerPoints in your head,” he said. “Then you just play. You try to use it, but also just keep your mind free. Especially if you’re not used to it sometimes you can get overwhelmed with information. Everybody’s got to find their own balance.”