Some insights from a player on the team comparing this year vs. last year:

- no one handled last season's high expectations well, coaches included
- this year's staff has much better chemistry: Earley and Longley tag teaming hitting wasn't a good fit, and JK and Mahala were oil and water. Mike is back to being THE hitting voice and this is JK's staff to run, TrackMan metrics be damned. If you can throw strikes and get people out you'll pitch. Pennington is as-advertised.
- lots of high-impact players with an edge coming off injuries last year, or heading into their high-leverage draft years - Sdao, Stewart, Grahovac, Sorrell, Moss, etc.
- team chemistry is much better, kids going to team bible studies, doing university/community service projects

We'll see if it translates to the win column, but excited for the season to start nonetheless!

BulldAg99 said:

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Some insights from a player on the team comparing this year vs. last year:

- no one handled last season's high expectations well, coaches included
- this year's staff has much better chemistry: Earley and Longley tag teaming hitting wasn't a good fit, and JK and Mahala were oil and water. Mike is back to being THE hitting voice and this is JK's staff to run, TrackMan metrics be damned. If you can throw strikes and get people out you'll pitch. Pennington is as-advertised.
- lots of players high-impact with an edge coming off injuries last year, or heading into their high-leverage draft years - Sdao, Stewart, Grahovac, Sorrell, Moss, etc.
- team chemistry is much better, kids going to team bible studies, doing university/community service projects

We'll see if it translates to the win column, but excited for the season to start nonetheless!

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"If you can throw strikes and get people out you'll pitch"

Thanks for the insight

Lol, it's that simple right! His point was in-game and sim-game results will carry more weight this season than TrackMan metrics. That's wasn't necessarily the case last year where bullpen warriors' with strong metrics kept being run out there, despite struggling to get outs.

BulldAg99 said:

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Lol, it's that simple right! His point was in-game and sim-game results will carry more weight this season than TrackMan metrics. That's wasn't necessarily the case last year where bullpen warriors' with strong metrics kept being run out there, despite struggling to get outs.

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Why would a veteran pitching coach like JK not have had full control and say over the pitching staff? Why would a 25 year old be given that kind of authority over those decisions?

I'm glad they are making changes where it's needed, but the fact that it was so poorly run last year is why people don't have faith in Earley until he proves otherwise.

Good question, idk. Maybe a carry over from Schloss, and how he and Max handled the staff? Hopefully the change in philosophy and JK's louder voice/influence = different results.