John From Albany - Interview with Syracuse Hitting Coach Joel Chimelis

 

Over the last week, the Syracuse Mets have been putting up some impressive offensive numbers.  Tuesday Night, July, 13^th, 18 runs; Thursday, July 15^th, 14 runs; Friday, July 16^th, 13 runs; Last Sunday, July 18^th, I spoke to the Syracuse Mets Hitting Coach Joel Chimelis about the recent offensive explosion and about his hitting philosophies in general.

JFA: Morning Joel.  Lately the team has been hitting a lot.  Why do you think you have been able to score so many runs lately?

Joel Chimelis: I think part of that is that players that were initially here, are back.  They were on the big-league club and now they are back with us.  I think they know their role, knowing that - they are coming here while the big-league club is getting healthy, doing work, going about their business in a professional way, making minor adjustments, and being more productive.

JFA: Overall, the offense this year in Syracuse has been very strong.  What is the hitting approach you’ve preached to players?

Joel Chimelis: Every hitter has their own routine but one of the things I preach is trying to avoid ground balls to the pull side.  That tells me that the swing is not an efficient, effective swing.  It is a swing that is in and out of the strike zone, way too soon, or way to quick.  So just trying to hit line drives to the outfield.  If you just take that approach in itself it lends for a swing that’s shorter to the ball, longer through the zone, so you have more room for error and it keeps the guys aggressive as well.

JFA: Does the organization have a philosophy they want to get across to the minor leaguers?

Joel Chimelis: I think with the new ownership and new people in the front office, they want to be a little more aggressive and do a little more damage.  Being from Houston and having someone in the front office right now [Jake Toffler in the Analytics Department] and me being from Houston as well – we think alike. The objective is to be more productive – just not trying to feel for the ball – when that happens is what I call playing pepper we don’t want to play pepper.  We want to make sure we are looking for a pitch – we are expecting to get a pitch and we want to hit it hard – and keeps the guys aggressive to specific zone and pitch – does it always stay that way – no- but my job is to try and keep them and get them back on track

JFA: Has Analytics been a big part of the teaching this year?

Joel Chimelis: Yeah we always use it.  I used it with the Astros – I was with the Astros for 12 years – so will use certain numbers that helps us indicate whether the hitter is being productive.  I have always used it for certain factors or keys.

For example, Ground Ball Rate; exit velo  - chases – Strikeout to Walk Ratio.  So, the data is there.  It is something that we use.

JFA: One trend lately in the Major Leagues and Minor Leagues is that teams tend to have more strikeouts than hits.  Syracuse is pretty much even in those stats.  Are you concerned with that trend?  Do you try to work with the guys to make contact with two strikes?

Joel Chimelis: I think a two-strike approach varies from hitter to hitter.  Sometimes the guys that try to put the ball in play actually chase more.  Make weaker contact or late because they are trying to cover too much of the zone and eventually produces a lot of misses as well.  I think we still have to stay within the zone.  Maybe not thinking about hitting a double, maybe thinking about hitting hitting a low line drive but we will still be aggressive within the zone and not having the mindset of I have to put the ball in play -  which a lot of guys do and as a result they go forward as chase bad pitches.

JFA: You have a lot of guys that are very close to being Major League Hitters.  A top prospect like Khalil Lee.  What do you think he needs to move forward and get into the Major Leagues? 

Joel Chimelis: I think Lee has come a long way mechanically.  I think he needs a better understanding of how the body works and how to be more efficient with the body and the barrel. He’s still young.  He just turned 23. He still has a lot to learn.  I think he’s learning it and picking it up faily quickly. He has pretty good strike zone discipline but sometimes his effort level is a bit too much.  But he’s learning and he’s getting better.  One of the things with him is having a high ground ball rate which means he’s spinning off the ball so we try to maintain the connection…focus on the inside part of the baseball…also stay long through the zone and hit more line drives.

JFA: How about Fan Favorite Patrick Mazeika?  What does he need to work on?

Joel Chimelis: I’ve known Mazeika for a little bit.  I had him in the Fall League as well.  His Hand/Eye coordination is off the charts.  He has a very good idea of what the pitcher has, very analytical, he knows how the ball is moving, he has a good plan, his bat path is very efficient, that is what makes him special because he is always able to make contact, One thing he is always working on is his lower half.  He continues to work on that making minor adjustments, but he is still able to barrel the ball somehow.  You can’t take that away from him.

JFA: You have had a tremendous flux of players in and out of here with all the injuries, guys that you have picked up and what not, how were you able to adjust with that very big roster.  How were you able to set up individual plans for everybody and get them to be productive.

Joel Chimelis: When they first come down, I just let them go and see where they’re at.  I don’t want to make changes or suggestions right away.  Unless I am told otherwise from where they are coming from.  So, I kind of let them go and create that relationship with them and trust.  Once I gain that trust and I see certain things and I show them proof and numbers, I make some suggestions and we take it from there.

JFA: How do you see the overall health in the organization and what do you think fans can look forward to?

Joel Chimelis: I think with the new hitting coaches and the new people in the front office.  I think they’re eventually gonna be more aggressive, slugging more, higher OPS.  They’ve done that in the past but it seems like that they have gotten away from that a little bit in the bib-league level and as a whole in the minor league system.  Again, just trying to be more aggressive in the zone…Trying to do damage...when I say damage it’s not just hitting home runs, hitting line drives, high exit velos, doubles in the gaps, trying hit doubles is huge.  It puts you in a really good position. It keeps you within the zone because you are trying to accomplish something - and you don’t need a certain pitch to do that with – you can’t do that with a pitch down and away or up and in.  Pretty much hitting mistakes, pitches that are over the plate. 

JFA: Is there anything you can tell players to get them to stay within the zone and try to stay focused?

Joel Chimelis: A lot of it is your intent and your approach and your commitment to that.  I’ve seen plenty of guys from the big-leagues that feel that they have to put the ball in play and again, as a result of that, they chase, and they expand the zone and make weak contact and a lot of strikeouts because of that.  Whereas, if you, I wouldn’t say shrink the zone, but stay within the zone, you have a better chance of laying off bad pitches and then getting a better pitch as a result.  I think when a pitcher knows when a hitter expands, they keep expanding.  When they know that they don’t expand, it puts the pressure on the pitcher to make that good pitch.

JFA: You came into the organization with Las Vegas in 2018.  What do think is the biggest change between then and now?  The analytics?

Joel Chimelis: In this organization we have a lot of free agents until the younger players are able to come up.  Every year it varies on the player.  We have to look at what we have to work with and what track record they have.  You have an idea of what they have done in the past and you come up with a plan.  But a lot depends on the actual player….again, we have a lot of free agent players coming into the organization with many new theories or philosophies on hitting, it takes a little while.  They’ve been in different organizations for so long, they come here, and it’s like this is what we’re going to do but it takes time for that to develop.  The best thing you can do as a hitting coach is not say anything sometimes.

JFA: Anything final things you want to add?

Joel Chimelis: The guys have been putting in their work.  They love spending time in the gage.  They love to swing.  It makes me feel good because we are creating an environment where they want to work and feel comfortable. That’s always a good thing.  The players have done their part and put in the work to make those adjustments.

JFA: Well it shows because you have been raking.  Hope I didn’t jinx you.

Joel Chimelis: Baseball is a funny game so we will see how it goes.  Good pitching shuts down good hitting. But with the players we have now, they understand their roles, not worried about the big leagues right now – all they can do is perform here and put themselves in a good situation so that if something happens they’ll be the first person they call.  And if we see something is not along those lines, we let them know.  If you pout – what does that accomplish? Just put yourself in a good position so when they make the call they ask us – we say so and so is ready.  They are working.  So put yourself in that position.

JFA: Thank you Joel.