Bo Bichette is a ton of enjoyable to observe on the plate, and that’s particularly the case in two-strike counts. He takes on the old fashioned method of bodily altering his swing to keep away from hanging out. There’s something aesthetically pleasing a couple of participant who refuses to strike out; it’s admirable, even. It can be rewarding.
Bichette has used a no-stride two-strike method his total profession, however again in 2022, he began standing a bit taller, along with his weight pre-shifted into his rear hip to go together with his no-stride load. In 2021, his .212 wOBA with two strikes was effectively behind the league-wide mark of .236. As a hitter with an above-average hit device and a knack for making good contact on pitches off the plate, that efficiency merely wasn’t ok. Certainly, it’s the precise kind of factor that will power most hitters to strive one thing else, which is what Bichette did. Whereas his wOBA and xwOBA in two-strike counts confirmed no tangible enchancment, 2022 was (and nonetheless is) his finest full season by wRC+ (130). Regardless of the outcomes had been, Bichette’s general offensive sport was thriving, so as an alternative of reverting again to the extra crouched setup, he constructed upon his new two-strike stance to enhance it.
In 2023, Bichette’s .233 two-strike wOBA was in keeping with the league common (.232), whereas his .250 xwOBA was .018 factors increased than league common. He decreased his whiff price with two strikes by about 4 share factors from 2022, and his strikeout price dropped three share factors consequently. That’s notable, after all, however keep in mind: Extra contact isn’t all the time higher for a chase-prone participant like Bichette, as a batter’s high quality of contact on pitches exterior the zone is usually worse than on these over the plate. The important thing right here is that Bichette’s discount in whiffs got here with higher contact; final 12 months he had the most effective xwOBACON with two strikes (.389) of his profession.
Regardless of the continued enchancment in his two-strike method this season (.283 wOBA), Bichette’s 2024 has been tough general. After 261 plate appearances, he sits at a 83 wRC+ and grim .322 xwOBA. The basis of his points appears to be along with his method. His SEAGER mark, which measures selectivity and price of hittable pitches taken, dropped from 16.7 in 2023 to eight this 12 months. That’s a drop from the 74th percentile to the twenty third. For some cause, that hasn’t carried over into hurting his two-strike method, however it’s nonetheless regarding for his general offensive profile.
That stated, Bichette’s two-strike enchancment has saved him afloat. Altogether, these enhancements not solely characterize a major growth for him going ahead, however they’ve additionally confirmed important for saving his 2024 season. However why is Bichette’s two-strike method working and persevering with to enhance? What did the taller posture and shifted weight really do for his swing? For that, we’ll have to take a look at some video.
2021 Two-Strike Swings
2024 Two-Strike Swings
Whereas this may be a lot simpler to see from a side-facing angle, it’s nonetheless evident how Bichette has cleaned up the small issues in his swing. His arms and hips are in a greater place to fireplace than they had been in 2021. Prior to now, he created an over-rotation along with his hips and torso when he bought his swing going. All the pieces bought spinny, and he would usually find yourself off stability or along with his head thwacking towards the third base on-deck circle. From the pitcher’s perspective, it was clear he was wrapping his bat manner an excessive amount of. The letters on the again of his jersey had been virtually dealing with the second baseman! Now, his ft are securely on the bottom and his physique isn’t dancing within the batter’s field even when he’s off stability within the higher half. This has resulted in the most effective begin to his profession with two strikes. (As an apart, Bichette nonetheless makes use of a leg kick once in a while with two strikes. I’m undecided why, however I assumed it’d be necessary to make clear. Now, again to his method.)
Prior to now, this was about the place an evaluation of a two-strike method would finish. Fortunately, we are able to now put Bichette’s method within the context of Statcast’s new bat monitoring information. A pair weeks again, Mike Petriello explored the general two-strike method within the majors and located some fascinating issues. On common, hitters gradual their swings down by 1.6 mph in two-strike counts. However like something in baseball, two-strike approaches exist on a spectrum. Hitters like José Caballero and Nolan Arenado gradual their swings down as a lot as 4 mph on common, whereas Jesse Winker speeds his up.
Bichette falls in keeping with the remainder of the league. He drops his common bat pace from 71.1 mph in counts with fewer than two strikes to 69.3 mph in counts with two strikes. Total, Bichette is within the thirtieth percentile in common bat pace at 70.6 mph. The truth that he slows his bat in two-strike counts isn’t the shock – Petriello’s analysis has made that clear. What I’m thinking about is whether or not a participant who modifications his mechanics in tandem with slowing down his swing is doing so successfully, and if not, what we should always take away from that. Whereas it’s the norm for hitters to gradual their swings down with two strikes, not all people is doing so with success. Simply since you gradual your swing down doesn’t imply you mechanically have a greater alternative to place the ball in play or – extra importantly – sq. the ball up. For some guys, it might result in mechanical deficiencies.
Bichette’s mechanics and method are an fascinating place to begin to this dialog as a result of the adjustment he makes is so visually apparent, which isn’t essentially the case with different hitters. With the brand new bat monitoring information and metrics, we are able to assess the standard of his swings and decide if his method results in shorter swings that produce stable contact. Usually talking, the idea of shortening and slowing your swing down with two strikes has two targets: to keep away from whiffing and to present your self a greater likelihood to sq. the ball up, even when it gained’t result in large time contact. For Bichette, that appears to be working higher than ever.
He makes use of a shorter swing in two-strike counts (7.4 ft vs. 7.3 ft), similar to the remainder of the league. Whereas we could not have the ability to verify that for earlier years, we now have information that say so for this season. Shortening up has additionally helped him whiff considerably much less with two strikes than the league common (19.3% vs. 24.3%). It’d be ideally suited if his whiffing much less led to a variety of stable contact. With the assistance of Statcast’s new squared-up and blasts metrics, we are able to get an thought of how Bichette has fared.
A squared-up ball is outlined as a batted ball the place a hitter attains no less than 80% of the utmost exit velocity primarily based on their swing pace and pitch pace. In two-strike counts, the league common price is 26.5% of all swings. Bichette’s price is 25.4%. It’s fluctuated above and beneath the league common price all season. So primarily based on flush contact alone, he’s been near the league common hitter. What helps him is his skill to spray the ball at a great launch angle, and that results in his superb wOBACON in two-strike counts to this point in 2024.
The place Bichette has actually excelled relative to the league has been with blasts. A blast is normally when a batter squares a ball up when swinging the bat no less than 82 mph, although there are different elements that would make a batted ball qualify as a blast with a swing pace beneath 82 mph. It’s far more tough for a hitter with below-average bat pace to provide blasts, because it takes nearer to their peak bat pace to provide the sort of swing. Bichette has produced blasts in two-strikes counts with 13.2% of his swings, whereas the league common is a mere 9.7%. That places him within the seventy fifth percentile out of 214 certified hitters. Fairly darn good for a hitter with thirtieth percentile common bat pace! Mainly, regardless of his shortening up, he’s nonetheless capable of swing quick and impression the ball if the scenario requires it. Having the ability to crush a mistake whereas additionally not whiffing on well-executed pitches is a implausible mix for a two-strike method.
The mixture of video, efficiency, and bat monitoring data helps inform a pleasant story a couple of hitter’s two-strike method. For Bichette, his no-stride and pre-set rotation helps him create above-average contact whereas additionally avoiding too many whiffs. As we get a greater understanding of find out how to apply the bat tacking information, I’ll proceed to pay eager consideration to hitters with clear two-strike approaches. We’ve recognized that hitters have all the time employed these methods, however seeing how they go about doing so is an thrilling growth in public evaluation.
