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Enjoy the heck out of it, because the Ackley we're seeing right now is the one we've been dreaming on. Like a sunny week in March in Seattle after 4 months of grey skies and rainy days.
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The Shout Box Digest for August 7 has a dozen su-perb mini posts on Ackley. Also on August 6 there are several Shouts, including a neat one from DaddyO and the one from MtGrizzly, who kicked it off by saying tersely: "Ackley's streak has been going a good while now."
Yah. Since July 1, Ackley has hit 59 doubles and 22 homers per season, pro-rated. There's a real shortage of players who hit 58 doubles and 22 homers.
There's also a shortage of players who hit 39 doubles. (10 players in the league hit 39 doubles last season -- Trout, Cano, Longoria, Santana and Davis were the guys with 39 doubles and also 16 homers. Think Ackley is capable of 39 and 16?)
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Yes, LrKrBoi29, we know that a smokin' hot month doesn't mean that a player jelled. Now shaddap and siddown. You'll notice it was 5 weeks on, and nobody cared about Ackley's streak.
Neither are we saying anything now, on the basis of July numbers. Eyes slideways, though, as to Ackley's ki...
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Ki or Chi or Qi, It'll Win You More than Offhand Scrabble Games
Somebody mentioned ... why can't I find it now?! :- ) ... that Ackley's attention to outside pitches is helping moderate his drift. Like a 1971 Chrysler trying to turn over on a December morning, Dr. D's mind finally turned over on that one. AHA! moment, Somebody.
Dig, if you will, the pictures of his two hits on Thursday night, a homer and an off-field line drive RBI. Ackley's front leg strikes a curious pose, feeling the heat of staying behind the ball:
Also notice, in the RBI to left, that his "ki" and CG are not subconsciously flying into RF as badly. This is a "tell" that his sincere intention is less ambitious.
SLG. Or at least we know Scott Boras is.
BABVA,
DR D
Comments
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is that it didn't come after we traded him to the Yankees.
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Ackley 2014 OPS Now > .700. If he continues to hit pitches on the outside of the plate to the opposite field, like he did on the single last night, I personally think he can sustain his solid performance. This approach helps him beat the shift and reduces the number of weak grounders to second base caused when he tries to pull pitches on the outside of the plate.
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If Good Ackley has arrived, it's a game changer for this team for this season and the next few. It means we really only have two crying needs - 1B and RF.
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Yesterday they showed a kind of heap map of the strike done with a red dot for each single, blue for each double and green for HR by Ackley since the all star break (or HR might have been blue, but that's not important). It showed pretty well that he's been getting singles and even a couple doubles on outside pitches. It does seem as simple as that continuing for him to not only keep this going to a large extent but probably also increase his BB totals as pitchers start to nibble more and umps start giving him those calls more (finally! )
Every other time he's had stretches nearly this good there's been a couple "Yeah, but"s about the stats that aren't easy to look past. His low walks seem not so worrisome given that pitchers are still assisting to how he's currently hitting and his BABIP isn't so high that I'm worried he'll crash to earth shortly. Especially looking at his season total of .292. Maybe I'm a fool, but it seems to me that a fast LH hitter with good bat and zone control who hits plenty of LD and GB should be able to sustain .320+ BABIP. The most similar profile I can find for Ackley in batted ball type % with similar speed is actually RH, and Justin Upton has a .332 career BABIP. Wouldn't a LH Upton potentially beat out more infield singles? Maybe Upton has more pop, but judging from several recent evaluations it sounds like enough people think there is possibility he can hit about that many HR but with more doubles. Ackleys .293 career BABIP seems to me to have more to do with rolling over pitches away in the past than having any bearing on projecting who he'll be if he continues with the skills it seems he now owns. I'm a believer.
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I expected Ackley to "find it" elsewhere.
Man, we're camping and I'm trying to raise fish (haven't touched one in three days) and I have to drive 15 miles and drink a beer at thelodge to get internet....but I'm glad I'm checking in.
As Doc said, I thought Ackleys's biggest problem was Ackley. He spent a lifetime as the Big Man on Campus, and it's hard to fall (for some guys) to the level of just a capable (or even quality) MLB'er. When you are Lou Gehrig in college it's hard to handle being Wally Pip in the bigs. Or for Ackely it was.
He's struggled finding his happy place in that role. But it looks like he found it, based on his comment.
Every MLB'er is a "mistake" hitter.....every last one of them. The guys that are good hit the pitcher's pitch once in a while, too. The Aarons and Trouts punish the mistakes (not just "hit" them) and get more than their share of good pitches.
It is almost liek there is no "average" Dustin Ackley. He's either WAY good or WAY abysmal. But if he can keep this run going, then things are looking up.
12 flippin' runs? May, we nearly didn't score that many in all of July!
diderot had it right...but I'm glad Ackley is wearing teal and green right now.
And, BTW, the moment I suppose Morrison is a burden with the bat and gave him a "few" more games to find his stroke, he hits a homer and a double and continues his hitting streak.
Endy Chavez? Homer? My goodness! All the planets are aligning.
It is the dawning of the age of Aquarius!
Go team.
Back to the wascally steelhead......
moe
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A week or so before the All Star break, Blowers made some comments about work that Ackley was putting in the cages that hadn't shown up in games yet. Something with his hips and stance, IIRC. I'm starting to pay attention when Blowers said stuff like that - he's usually on to something.
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Lloyd & his staff have done a first-rate job in reclaiming Tom Wilhelmson from the scrap heap, turning him into a valuable relief pitcher from the demoralized mess he was under Wedgie and his staff. They appear to be performing a similar wonderful job on Ackley -- Ackley's OF defense is already much improved over last year and if Ackley's offense has turned around as well, LLoyd and staff can truly be called miracle-workers. So much for all of the people who say the choice of a manager doesn't make much difference.
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I'm really starting to like this coaching staff. With HoJo and Lloyd, you've got two hitting coaches. I remember when it was like that with Pinella in the fold. Two perpectives, two approaches. Van Slyke has made an impact with the OF defense. Waits is in synch with the entire pitching staff.