GT: O's @ J's / July 31 - Aug 3

[Mehar]

There is a report that Davis Schneider has been summoned to join the team in Boston


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That's another thing. Boy has it taken long to insert other options in place of Espinal and Biggio. Even with Schneider's callup, I doubt he gets much playing time.

It was laughable to see Merrifield splitting time in the first month or so with Biggio at Second Base. Biggio has been awful all year. Hopefully, after this year we have seen the last of Biggio in the everyday roster of this team. Has been terrible for three years, and I do not understand what the organization sees in him. I rather have Schneider get an extended look at Second over Espinal and Biggio.

[Hottie McShotty]

Hatch DFA.

[whysoserious]

I'm not impressed with the catalyst notion, as if the only thing keeping Vlad from elevating grounders or Chapman from striking out so much is the absence of another bat to inspire them. I'm more interested in the fact they never change their plate approach, and swing at a lot of garbage. And I don't know what our hitting coaches are doing. Are they being ignored? Tuned out? Or are they out of answers.

While Vlad and Chappy are prime examples of hitting woes, it's not just them. It's our overall hitting approach. Guys like Bichette, Whitt and KK can work around it cause of who they are at their core. But the approach to hitting with this organization as a whole is not a good one. They don't know the situation in the game, the actual at bat, the count and how to do different things. There's something to sticking to what you are but you also have so much more you can do as a hitter then swing for the fences.

Our pitching overall has been phenomenal yet our offense - with all the pieces they have - has been an absolute disaster.

[linery88]

They just need to all have the same approach,like vs TB.
In bp before that game,every batter took a pitch,and drove it the other way,and they blew them out because they all had the same mindset.

[SharoneWright]

Next game thread belongs to someone else

[Ranger One]

Something needs to change for sure. Fire the hitting coach i dont give AF anymore. These guys are just clueless at the plate with their hitting approaches. They need to be hitting for contact with RISP not hacking away trying to hit a 3 run HR every AB. Which is what they have been doing all season long. Aside from Bichette and Merryfield, i have not once seen any of these guys shorten up and try to just make contact, hit the ball the other way, do ANYTHING other than just hack away when there are RISP.

[Raider917]

watch the lightning start before the 5th inning

[PowerPlant1]

I'm not impressed with the catalyst notion, as if the only thing keeping Vlad from elevating grounders or Chapman from striking out so much is the absence of another bat to inspire them. I'm more interested in the fact they never change their plate approach, and swing at a lot of garbage. And I don't know what our hitting coaches are doing. Are they being ignored? Tuned out? Or are they out of answers.

While what you say somewhat misrepresents what I mean by catalyst, I do agree with you. A fundamentally flawed hitting approach will likely not be fixed by additional good hitters in the lineup. And yeah, I don't know what our hitting coach is doing.

Nonetheless, when you bring in good hitters, the pressure is less on each individual to be a superstar. Imagine the difference of Varsho replaced by Pham and each hitter knowing the lineup is that much better. As well, bring in some good hitters with better approaches and they lead by example and the struggling hitters may pick up aspects of their approach to be successful off opposing starters. Each hitter has their own style but that doesn't mean they don't consult or mimic each other at times to solve opposing pitching. If most of the lineup has a bad approach, it is the blind leading the blind.