M's HIT tool ranks 70 so far
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In terms of bases gained and bases lost, the M's deserve to be 3-and-3. They've faced two contenders, on the road. Back away from the ledge, kiddies. The first six games have gone very well for a young team in search of an identity.
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Bill James once said, "baseball is about the strike zone." The Mariners' batting average isn't yet best in the league, but if this keeps up, it soon will be ....
Has it seemed to you like the M's are seeing the ball well? F/X backs up our suspicions.
When scouts refer to the HIT tool, they're talking about the ability to cover a pitch irrespective of how hard the batter swings. Let's look at the M's HIT tool.
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So far the Mariners' lineup ranks #1 in the American League for fewest "balls" swung at:
| Team | O-Swing % | Rank |
| Mariners | 23.6% | 1 |
| AL Average | 29.4 |
That's not because the Mariners are going up to the plate with the bats glued to their shoulders. Assuming that the pitch is a strike, they're letting the bats fly:
| Team | Z-Swing % | Rank |
| Mariners | 67.7% | 4 |
| AL Average | 64.2% |
The M's are #1 in plate discipline, if by "discipline" you mean that a guy refuses to swing at a ball. What's even more interesting: the next five teams on the list (A's, Twins, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Indians) are all BELOW average in swings at strikes. In other words, the Mariners are doing a FAR better job, than ANY other AL team, at managing the strike zone.
This isn't because they've been playing the Astros ... the A's had a 114 ERA+ last year, the White Sox had a 108 ERA+, and both teams are known for savvy pitching.
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When the M's do let the bats fly, they're covering the pitches well:
| Team | Contact% | Rank |
| Mariners | 80.3% | 4 |
| AL Average | 77.2% |
They're only the barest tick behind teams #2 and #3.
As a side note, the Houston Astros have a shocking Swing-and-Miss percentage going. Slap me silly and call me Shirley. Here's the link. These guys could be in for a looooong year.
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However, the M's line drive rate is last in the league after six games.
They're hitting lots and lots of fly balls. I dunno if that's all bad - I've heard pitchers don't like fly balls. Maybe if they're going to be a fly ball team, then as the weather warms up (and they get out of Oakland), a few will leave the park.
We don't mean to edit this article in favor of the M's, but I don't see any particular reason that the 17% line drive rate will sustain, do you? Morales, Seager, Morse, Ibanez, etc., those guys get on top of the ball fine.
By the same token, you don't expect the M's to finish all 162 games and have this kind of a lead in O/Z swing ratio. If they did, they'd lead the league in runs, easily. We're simply noticing that the Mariners are laying some great AB's out there right now.
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Which Mariners get the most credit for the amazing O-Swing/Z-Swing ratios?
- Saunders -- 14% O-Swing / 88% Z-Swing
- KoK'Mo -- 15% / 84%
- Seager -- 18% / 63%
- Montero -- 22% / 68%
- Guti -- 24% / 72%
All those guys are legitimate SIZZLERs for the first half of the year. Gutierrez, you guys have already been likin'.
As far as Michael Saunders, what happened was that he was way hardcore intense during the WBC, and then suffered a letdown. He could be getting his extra concentration back shortly. But it looks clear that he's continuing to grow as a player.
There's good news all over the place. Dustin Ackley hadn't swung and missed yet this season, before he had one miss today, and he's swinging hard. With him it's just pitch recognition, boys. He's going to be a hitter.
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Takeaway #1: Eric Wedge has a 12-to-make-9 offense going, and so far he's done a great job with it. His batters du jour are going up there and battling the pitchers tooth and nail.
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Takeaway #2: The M's batters so far have the best HIT tool in the league.
Funny thing is, they're not a HIT team. They're a PWR team. :: he stops short ::
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Takeaway #3: The M's 12-to-make-9 lineup has real potential to be one of the tough lineups in the AL. They've got a 1-2 starting pitcher combo that, as a duo, any team in the league would love to have. Pryor and Capps are looking great right now.
They're a couple of BOR tweaks away from being legit. How long till Hultzen's here, didja say?