Fans keep posting this narrative about hitters doing better once they leave the Cardinals like it is some kind of epidemic. I got tired of replying to the same comments over and over so throwing this all in one place so I can just respond with a link.
First of all, no player is going to miraculously become better by getting away from a coach or by being with a new coach. Over time, possibly, but not instantly. A hitting coach doesn’t have that kind of hold on a player, they don’t force players to do what they do in their at-bats. They suggest things and give advice. A hitting coach does not TEACH hitting at the Major League level. If they are, then your organization has far bigger problems. The hitting coach is always going to be the scapegoat and never get the praise.
Randy Arozarena. First I will say, I wanted to see him get a chance at leadoff back then. He looked like the flashy, speedy kind of player to fill that need. They traded him and Jose Martinez to the Rays for Matthew Liberatore. Some fans have written off Liberatore already, which is silly because he is only 22 years old. Missed a season because of covid and didn’t go to college. He is still developing. Back to Arozarena… he had an amazing postseason with the Rays, but he did not become something amazing like people make it out to be. He hit 7 HRs in 23 games in 2020, and then 10 more in the postseason. But then he settled back to what he was, a good player. But he isn’t doing anything different than he was. He won the rookie of the year award… in his 3rd mlb season… at the age of 26. He strikes out 30% of the time. Yes, he is a good player, but he didn’t get better for leaving the Cardinals. They got a top pitching prospect. Jose Martinez is playing in a Mexican League.
Adolis Garcia, there was a lot of hype. He was crushing homeruns in the minors, but he was crushing fastballs and chasing everything else. In 2019, he struck out 159 times in 491 plate appearances with Memphis. He ended up getting DFA by the Cardinals that winter and then traded to the Rangers for $100,000. Then after one season with the Rangers, they DFA him too. No other team claimed him. That must have been a wakeup call for him, because then he turned it on and had a great spring training, and it took a Ronald Guzman injury to get him on the 40-man. The 28 year old rookie was named an A;;-Star and would finish 4th in RoY voting, his 3rd season in MLB. He has turned into a pretty good player… but low average and has struck out 194 and 183 times in full seasons in the majors.
Marcell Ozuna? He is his own worst enemy.
Mags Sierra? Really? Not sure what he thinks he did, maybe it was that 2019 season?
Matt Carpenter… now he definitely seemed to figure something out. Working with Holliday in the offseason, and looking at analytics, something he avoided. He said in an interview that he regretted not looking into those available tools sooner. Instead of stats for Marp, I suggest looking at these numbers on Statcast: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/matt-carpenter-572761?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb Some will say the short porch at Yankee stadium is the reason, and it definitely won’t hurt. Bush is a pitcher’s park. Looks like he is seeing and crushing more four seamers. His Meatball% and Barrels were noticeably higher in the short time he played before getting injured. So maybe that’s just not the AL figuring him out?
Last guy he mentioned was Harrison Bader. Again, another player going to the AL and having success in short amount of time. First though… if you can trade the oldest outfielder on your team who has been injured since June and returned mid-September for a quality starting pitcher, that’s a win.
The thing with Bader, and he has said it, (and it was taken out of context for clickbait on blogs) is that he is glad to be away from Busch Stadium. His home and away splits are like the opposite of Coors Field.
Mick Lite served for 12 years in the military and is now an entrepreneur and photographer. Has worked as the official scorer and social media manager for the River City Rascals, Statistician for the Missouri Monsters and St. Louis Attack arena football teams, and as the Team Photographer and social media consultant for the St. Charles Chill, SLU Hockey, St. Louis Slam, and Gateway Grizzlies.
