Hitting

Mike Bryant Explains Everything, Pt. 3: Pitchers Have Big Advantage, Potential for Bullpenning

The first two sections of my conversation with Mike Bryant, professional hitting instructor and father of Cubs “borderline superstar” Kris Bryant, established some truths about launch angle and also explained how his son has improved as a hitter. But that addressed only one side of the equation, which is what hitters are trying to do when ... More

Mike Bryant Explains Everything, Pt. 2: How Kris Bryant Has Made Freakish Improvements as a Hitter

In Part 1 of our conversation with Mike Bryant, we dispelled myths about the launch angle movement by establishing a few truths about what these players are and aren’t trying to do. The numbers we’ve all grown familiar with at this point are really just a product of trying to generate an upward plane with the bat. So rather than ... More

Mike Bryant Explains Everything, Pt. 1: Dispelling Myths About Launch Angle Revolution

Even if he’s only a borderline superstar, Kris Bryant may well be the perfect player for modern major league baseball. He’s won some of his sports’ highest accolades while playing all over the field and sitting for photo and video shoots, and he’s done it inside the fishbowl of one of the most pressurized environments in baseball. ... More

IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL IT’S OVER !

" IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER ! "  -  Yogi Berra And let me quote a young slugger from Las Vegas who , at 23 years old , is one of only 3 left handed hitters to hit 40+ home runs in the American League by the age of 23 . He has joined the likes of Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Ken Griffey Jr. to accomplish such a feat . Pretty good ... More

Kris Bryant Collects 500th Hit

  Kris Bryant singles to left field in the top of the 4th inning for his 500th career hit More

Countdown to Liftoff: How Joey Gallo and Josh Donaldson Embody Baseball’s New Era

The 1-and-2 pitch to Rangers slugger Joey Gallo last Sept. 17 didn’t signify the start of a revolution—it was more the Second Battle of Saratoga than Lexington and Concord. The first shots had come a few years earlier, igniting the greatest hitting rebellion since Babe Ruth (more or less) invented the home run. What happened on this pitch ... More

RESULTS VS. THE PROCESS

When a new client comes to me, it is often that they tell me a bit about their son. Their first words are usually not words at all - they are numbers. " My son has a .635 batting average or he only has 5 doubles in the last two years . . . . etc. " Numbers are the RESULTS. The PROCESS is the means by which you arrive at those numbers. Make ... More

We Were All Wrong About Kris Bryant

You were wrong. I was wrong. Scouts were wrong. Computers were wrong. To be fair, pretty much no one and nothing saw this coming. But sure enough, Kris Bryant has turned into exactly the type of player teams can often only dream of employing, a guy who can hit moonshots without striking out. Scouts and projection algorithms alike loved ... More

BASEBALL REALITY CHECK . . . SOME THINGS HAPPENING ON THE BASEBALL BEAT 

  CUBS SCOUT TEAM Yes ! The Chicago Cubs Scout Team is alive and well and expanding ! My partners , Area Scout Tom Myers and Scout Don Moriarity are actively pursuing talent nationwide with much success . We had a great showing in the PG World Series in July at the Cubs Spring Training complex in Mesa AZ and expect many invites to play ... More

This Season’s First Half Was a Home Run Derby

On Monday in Miami, as a prelude to the All-Star Game the next night, a parade of major leaguers will step to the plate, swing hard and try to lift baseballs into the seats. Officially, it is known as the annual Home Run Derby. It will also seem redundant, because it basically describes the entire first half of the season. “Guys are going ... More