Baseballs biggest problem right now: Hitting Fastballs in the zone

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GymBroFisher
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5:39a, 3/17/25
We either aren't swinging at fastballs in the zone (i guess not recognizing them), or we hardly do anything with them.

I've never seen a good baseball team that can't pound the fastball, and right now we are hardly touching them when they are in the zone.

In the last 2 games against fastballs in the zone or swung at Kent, LaViolette, Hensler, Kash, and Schott are: 3/56. yep... 3/56

Who hit fastballs the best vs Bama in the last 2 games? Basically the freshmen. Hensler did get an RBI.

Fastballs on the outer half are basically free money for opposing pitchers. Fastballs inside, pretty much free as well. and we barely hit the ones in the middle.

It doesn't even look like we are using the first pitch to get timing on the fastball, just taking to see if we get a ball.

I have no clue what kind of approach they are using right now, it doesn't look like we are attacking nor hitting a single type of pitch. We could def do with some fastball hunting to try and eliminate pitches.

Also, Jace has to step up. We need him producing. He's getting a ton of low fastballs in the zone.

If Earley is worth his salt as a coach at all, he's got to get the big boys back to raking fastballs in the zone. Make the them beat us with breaking balls.

Then taking advantage of hanging offspeed mistakes?


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OA_02
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7:55a, 3/17/25
AG
Jace is batting 231 with the majority of those AB's against just above juco level pitching - but hey, he hit another ball to the warning track yesterday.
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GymBroFisher
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12:37p, 3/17/25
we can't let the fastball beat us, you can live with a pitcher beating you with great breaking balls consistently in the zone and not leaving any hangers to smash. Because that's going to be an elite college pitcher.
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AggieCrew44
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In reply to OA_02 • 12:39p, 3/17/25
AG
OA_02 said:
Jace is batting 231 with the majority of those AB's against just above juco level pitching - but hey, he hit another ball to the warning track yesterday.
Jace hit two balls yesterday over 105 mph. He's the least of my worries
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GymBroFisher
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In reply to AggieCrew44 • 12:41p, 3/17/25
AggieCrew44 said:
OA_02 said:
Jace is batting 231 with the majority of those AB's against just above juco level pitching - but hey, he hit another ball to the warning track yesterday.
Jace hit two balls yesterday over 105 mph. He's the least of my worries
exit velocity is a metric, but so is launch angle. And he's not getting a good one right now. i think his last AB he almost got a hold of one.

We want line drives, not grounders or popups. aiming for line drives is generally more effective than hitting grounders, as they offer a higher chance of reaching base and producing runs (extra base hits).




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AggieCrew44
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In reply to GymBroFisher • 12:43p, 3/17/25
AG
GymBroFisher said:
AggieCrew44 said:
OA_02 said:
Jace is batting 231 with the majority of those AB's against just above juco level pitching - but hey, he hit another ball to the warning track yesterday.
Jace hit two balls yesterday over 105 mph. He's the least of my worries
exit velocity is a metric, but so is launch angle. And he's not getting a good one right now. i think his last AB he almost got a hold of one.
His launch angle was fine on both. We've wanted less fly balls. Well both were squared up pretty dang well. Just right to people
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greg.w.h
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In reply to AggieCrew44 • 12:50p, 3/17/25
AG
AggieCrew44 said:
GymBroFisher said:
AggieCrew44 said:
OA_02 said:
Jace is batting 231 with the majority of those AB's against just above juco level pitching - but hey, he hit another ball to the warning track yesterday.
Jace hit two balls yesterday over 105 mph. He's the least of my worries
exit velocity is a metric, but so is launch angle. And he's not getting a good one right now. i think his last AB he almost got a hold of one.
His launch angle was fine on both. We've wanted less fly balls. Well both were squared up pretty dang well. Just right to people
Suggests their scouting correctly positioned their players?
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GymBroFisher
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1:13p, 3/17/25
point still stands, every pitcher has a fastball. If you can't do damage with one, you're in for a rough year.
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waco_aggie05
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In reply to AggieCrew44 • 1:31p, 3/17/25
AG
AggieCrew44 said:
OA_02 said:
Jace is batting 231 with the majority of those AB's against just above juco level pitching - but hey, he hit another ball to the warning track yesterday.
Jace hit two balls yesterday over 105 mph. He's the least of my worries
Please tell me, when do we start to worry?

People keep posting that its the new blood that's dragging down the line up but its simply not true. It's all of the above. Sure he can't do it all, but damn yesterday we got 2 on to start the game, one crack from Jace and we probably all would have felt the weight come off the place, but instead we went from 2 on and no outs to 1 on and no outs. And couldn't even salvage a way to bring in the guy from third.

There's just absolutely no pulse, energy, or identity to this team. If Jace is truly the #2 MLB draft pick, Earley should be able to tell him just go hit the damn ball and he finds a gap or finds a way based on what the pitcher is giving him. Maybe they are micromanaging at bats idk but it is weak.
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Bobaloo
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1:32p, 3/17/25
I have always believed that good hitters don't forget how to hit. However, even great hitters slump at times. We are in a collective slump right now. We are due for the entire team to get out of it.
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AggieCrew44
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In reply to waco_aggie05 • 1:34p, 3/17/25
AG
waco_aggie05 said:
AggieCrew44 said:
OA_02 said:
Jace is batting 231 with the majority of those AB's against just above juco level pitching - but hey, he hit another ball to the warning track yesterday.
Jace hit two balls yesterday over 105 mph. He's the least of my worries
Please tell me, when do we start to worry?

People keep posting that its the new blood that's dragging down the line up but its simply not true. It's all of the above. Sure he can't do it all, but damn yesterday we got 2 on to start the game, one crack from Jace and we probably all would have felt the weight come off the place, but instead we went from 2 on and no outs to 1 on and no outs. And couldn't even salvage a way to bring in the guy from third.

There's just absolutely no pulse, energy, or identity to this team. If Jace is truly the #2 MLB draft pick, Earley should be able to tell him just go hit the damn ball and he finds a gap or finds a way based on what the pitcher is giving him. Maybe they are micromanaging at bats idk but it is weak.
We can worry about the team as a whole. I'm not going to get mad at a guy squaring up balls. If he does that all year so be it you move on

And no you can't tell a guy where to hit a ball. Outside of pulling a ground ball to get a run in or a sac fly thats insane. You hit a ball hard. That's all you can do
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W
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In reply to greg.w.h • 1:57p, 3/17/25
AG
bingo

the opponent is allowed to scout the Ags...and position their fielders accordingly
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Agryan00
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3:35p, 3/17/25
5 for 34 (0.147avg) with 4 walks 2 RBIs and 3 LOB. Which series are we going to win where the top 3 hitters do this?

We can point at the bullpen, we can point at the injuries, we can point at the number of fish in the lineup, we can point at the North wind, we can point to exit velos and how unlucky we think we are, oh and lets not forget Ags we love to blame umpires if we don't get every call. At what point are we holding the core of this lineup accountable? If they can't figure it out isn't it Earley's job to help them figure it out?

Pretty sure its not a lack of talent in those 3 guys.

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bulverdeaggie93
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3:46p, 3/17/25
AG
Jace is very predictable in his plate approach.. look no further than the defensive shift against him… i've thought for 2 years now he should lay a bunt up 3rd base and be able to walk to 1st every now and then, and eliminate the shift… but no, we keep waiting on the homeruns
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jrodwh00p
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In reply to bulverdeaggie93 • 5:22p, 3/17/25
AG
bulverdeaggie93 said:
Jace is very predictable in his plate approach.. look no further than the defensive shift against him… i've thought for 2 years now he should lay a bunt up 3rd base and be able to walk to 1st every now and then, and eliminate the shift… but no, we keep waiting on the homeruns


Yeah…. Wykyk. He has a very large hole in his swing, easily exploited with above avg pitching

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greg.w.h
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8:24a, 3/18/25
AG
As to the thread title: yes. We are blowing arms right and left by emphasizing speed and spin. Because both work…

" It has become an annual rite of spring in baseball: Every year, some team has its aspirations shattered because a pitcher shredded his elbow to pieces.

The latest victims are the New York Yankees, who said Monday that ace right-hander Gerrit Cole needs season-ending Tommy John surgery. The news was a devastating blow for the Yankees, who now must try to navigate a path back to the World Series without one of the most irreplaceable players in the sport.

By now, this sort of seismic injury should come as no surprise. Baseball has been ravaged by an epidemic of arm injuries for more than a decade, and there is no sign of the problem slowing down. Ulnar collateral ligament procedures have increased 170% across the major and minor leagues since 2010, according to a December report published by MLB. Cole is just the latest casualty.

The frustrating part is that everybody in the industry knows exactly why this is happening. Pitchers throw harder than ever before, with the speed of the average fastball climbing from about 91 MPH to more than 94 MPH over the past 20 years. The total number of pitches recorded at 100 MPH or more has gone from 214 in 2008 to more than 3,300 last season."

https://www.wsj.com/sports/baseball/gerrit-cole-pitching-velocity-tommy-john-87cbf714?st=8wvdKo&reflink=article_copyURL_share

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dcg4403
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In reply to AggieCrew44 • 10:32a, 3/18/25
AG
AggieCrew44 said:
OA_02 said:
Jace is batting 231 with the majority of those AB's against just above juco level pitching - but hey, he hit another ball to the warning track yesterday.
Jace hit two balls yesterday over 105 mph. He's the least of my worries


People keep talking exit velocity! STOP!!

Unless this team learns to put the ball in plays and that means on the ground or low shot line drives, nothing going to change. 50% of the team looks lost. Jace has regressed as a hitter and is destroying his draft stock.

This is exactly why the approach to modern baseball is full of flaws. Just about launch angles and exit velos. Half the players have zero concept of just putting the nat on the ball and in the right spots on the field.

We have ONE players by the name of Terrence Kiel II that is a complete hitter. If only we had more hitters like him.

Some of this is squarely in the coaches. Relying purely on deep balls and HRs as your offensive strategy.
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AggieCrew44
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In reply to dcg4403 • 10:47a, 3/18/25
AG
dcg4403 said:
AggieCrew44 said:
OA_02 said:
Jace is batting 231 with the majority of those AB's against just above juco level pitching - but hey, he hit another ball to the warning track yesterday.
Jace hit two balls yesterday over 105 mph. He's the least of my worries


People keep talking exit velocity! STOP!!

Unless this team learns to put the ball in plays and that means on the ground or low shot line drives, nothing going to change. 50% of the team looks lost. Jace has regressed as a hitter and is destroying his draft stock.

This is exactly why the approach to modern baseball is full of flaws. Just about launch angles and exit velos. Half the players have zero concept of just putting the nat on the ball and in the right spots on the field.

We have ONE players by the name of Terrence Kiel II that is a complete hitter. If only we had more hitters like him.

Some of this is squarely in the coaches. Relying purely on deep balls and HRs as your offensive strategy.
Just tell me you don't know ball man

One was a one hop screamer right at an infielder up the middle. The other was a laser to the fence that got caught. Nothing wrong with the launch angles on either

Don't let your frustration with lack of results cloud your judgement
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MagnumLoad
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In reply to Bobaloo • 11:24a, 3/18/25
Bobaloo said:
I have always believed that good hitters don't forget how to hit. However, even great hitters slump at times. We are in a collective slump right now. We are due for the entire team to get out of it.
I would not say that Kiel, Hensler or Kent are in slumps. Kent had a rough last game
I hate tu. It's in my blood.
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htxag09
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In reply to jrodwh00p • 1:33p, 3/18/25
AG
jrodwh00p said:
bulverdeaggie93 said:
Jace is very predictable in his plate approach.. look no further than the defensive shift against him… i've thought for 2 years now he should lay a bunt up 3rd base and be able to walk to 1st every now and then, and eliminate the shift… but no, we keep waiting on the homeruns


Yeah…. Wykyk. He has a very large hole in his swing, easily exploited with above avg pitching

That's hitting now....

Look at the MLB...they had to modify rules to ban the shift. The shift defenses are putting in play vs. Jace was used on probably 75%+ of MLB lefties a couple years ago...

Are you saying all MLB has average swings that are easily exploited?
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94chem
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12:35p, 3/20/25
This team missed a lot of fastballs last season too. Jace swung through a lot of fastballs deep in counts. I saw a lot of Joey Gallo in his game.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
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Strike One
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3:30p, 3/20/25
I agree that a lot of our guys, especially Jace, do not seem to even be thinking about timing up a fastball and hitting it until the 3rd or 4th pitch in the count. At that point, they are often in the hole and the pitcher can throw anything in his arsenal against them. So, even if a subsequent pitch is a fastball across the plate, Jace and crew are usually late in their swings. On the otherhand, Henseler, Kiel and usually Kent look like they come up to the plate ready to nail a pitch (especially a fastball) if it comes down the pyke on the first pitch. I really like that aggressive, "I'm ready to hit", type of look at the plate.
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