OK, Jose Siri is now a NY Met. Siri and the Big Apple are a perfect combo? Perhaps.
Above average speed and power, well above average defense, and otherwise poor offensive skills, most notably seen when pitch counts get to 2 strikes (i.e., 0-2, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2).
Plate appearances when that 2 strike count occurred totaled:
298 of his 448 total PAs (66.5%) ended when he reached 2 strikes, meaning only 33.5% of his PAs ended when his count was at 0 strikes or 1 strike.
265 ABs with 2 strikes? 170 Ks, .113/.205/.208, 15 runs, 19 Ks.
In other words, on two strikes, he is awful.
How awful? Well, poor hitting (for a pitcher) Jerry Koosman was up over 900 times in the majors and hit .119.
Siri does have speed to steal - 279 pro steals in 4800 PAs. And 167 major and minor league HRs in 4800 ABs isn't shabby. Ans his MLB HR pace has been a HR every 22 PAs.
My 2 strike advice?
Bunt, slap, choke up, do whatever you have to on two strikes to not strike out and make more contact. And watch lots of Mark Canha HBP video, since, if you can't hit to get on base, then get hit by pitches (like Mark) to get on base.
Do you have any advice for Siri? You can, of course, ask Siri if you'd like.
A puzzle to me is how Senor Siri has had such a glaring hitting defect (Ks) and spent as much time as he has in the majors, and someone else, like Jake Mangum, now 29, has yet to make the majors.
Jake has hit .296/.349/.424 in his minors career, 81 steals in 1,800 PAs, just one K per every 6 PAs, and a solid defender. Considerably less power than Senor Siri, but Jake is more "normal" stats-wise.
I have a feeling the Tampa Rays were puzzled, too.
Ever the economical franchise, Tampa traded Siri as his salary was about to "soar" from under $1 million to over $2 million in 2025. And then Tampa promptly acquired Mangum who, if he makes the Rays, will toil at MLB minimum, and also promptly added Mangum to their 40 man roster.
Siri is Bader part 2. Great defender, minimal bat. When Bader's offense got as bad as Siri is now, he became a late inning defensive replacement. That will be Siri's role unless Eric Chavez can fix his bat.
ReplyDeleteSiri is a great sign
ReplyDeleteWill explain in my Sunday post
I’d like to just convince Siri to try to radically improve contact on 2 strikes. A .208 slug % this season on 2 strike counts? What?
ReplyDeleteIn Tony Gwynn’s career, when he had 2 strikes during his at bats, he hit .302.
ReplyDeleteA site named Elite Diamond Performance essentially agreed with what I am saying. These are excerpts. Check out the site for more info:
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important questions we use to help hitters is "what is the most common way that you get out?" Mostly, hitters get out hitting roll over ground balls or weak flyballs. However, there are times when hitters will say that strikeouts comprise most of their outs. .
Approach: The first question I ask a hitter who is striking out is: "What is your approach in the box?" It is amazing how often a hitter's approach can be the main contributing factor to an increased strikeout rate. While there can be an infinite number of things that a hitter thinks at the plate, the main reason that hitters struggle approach wise is often a lack of aggressiveness.
Lacking Aggressiveness: Whether a hitter is keeping the bat on their shoulder, or they are chasing pitches out of the zone (seems backwards but I will explain), lacking aggressiveness is often the main cause. Within lacking aggressiveness there are 3 main issues that contribute: Actively taking pitches, not having a plan or being overly passive in your thoughts.
Actively Taking: Many times hitters struggle with strikeouts they will take the first pitch or take until they have a strike. Often, hitters feel like they need to see a pitch to feel comfortable in the box or take a pitch to get a sense of how hard a pitcher throws. The problem is that this can lead to falling behind in counts. While a hitter should never be afraid to fall behind in a count, when hitters do fall behind, the success rate falls heavily into the pitcher's favor.
How to fix approach
Don't take pitches. Unless a coach gives you a take sign (which drives me crazy), a hitter should never be actively taking a pitch. After all, when you step in the box you are called a hitter!
Foot on the gas not the break. Expect a pitch and expect to do damage. Good hitters get in the box expecting the pitcher to throw the pitch they are looking for and expect to swing.
Keep thoughts positive and aggressive. This goes mostly for coaches and parents. It is hard for a player to hear negative and defensive things before stepping in the box and stay aggressive.