T.I.L.T Athletics

Hitting coach. Shift supporter. Barry Bonds H.O.F campaign member.

[Prep Baseball MD/DE Scouting @PrepBaseDEMD]

‘28 Noah Caruso (Walt Whitman) - @DMVProspectsBSB

Jumps on this FB and sends it to the LF wall for a 2B

@PrepBaseballMD #PBESOpen #MD7

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@C_R_Enn @JMikeMLB My olive branch I’d extend is that HOW you create bat speed is equally as important. There is a correct way and an incorrect way. But when done correctly, the benefits are indisputable.

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@C_R_Enn @JMikeMLB For every Anthony Volpe there are 20 big leaguers who see tangible jumps in run production:

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@VanSky_fam @JMikeMLB The issue I have with this is:

1) What are these “myriad of factors that aren’t measurable”?

2) Why should that discount a clearly significant relationship over a massive sample size?

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@ElmoLewxs @JMikeMLB It’s the same argument with pitch velo. The benefits of throwing harder are clear. To deny that is to deny the truth

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@j_ullegue @JMikeMLB 3) what measuring metrics don’t transfer? Would you mind elaborating on that?

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@j_ullegue @JMikeMLB 1) What data do you have that shows hitting is worse because of hitting philosophy vs other factors (i.e pitchers throwing harder)

2) slugging increases across ALL pitch types (fastballs, offspeed, breaking balls as savant buckets them) when guys have higher bat speeds (on avg)

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@C_R_Enn @JMikeMLB Stats are better across all pitch types. If you have any data that shows swinging slower is better for run production I am all ears.

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@LVW100 @JMikeMLB Yes of course.

My argument is that OP says bat speed has zero impact, while we have a plethora of data that proves a statistically significant correlation between bat speed and run production. Am I saying it’s the only thing? No. But it’s a big part of the equation.

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@j_ullegue @JMikeMLB sure, but OP is suggesting there's no relationship between bat speed and offensive production, which is incorrect. We have years and years of data with a significant sample size that shows a correlated relationship.

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@C_R_Enn @JMikeMLB Giancarlo Stanton had a wrc+ of 158 last year (7th in the league min 200 PA)

I think the reason analytics tends to trend towards more power is because it’s directly correlated to run production, but I disagree that it turns every hitter into a power hitter.

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@C_R_Enn @JMikeMLB In game it’s more pitcher based:

“What pitches does this guy throw in 2K counts, how does he sequence, how will he attack a hitter like me?”

Off-season training is usually more mechanical:

“Am I hitting too many groundballs? Am I too steep? Whiffing under too many balls?” Etc

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@GoGoGolson @JMikeMLB I actually think we are in agreement here. There’s definitely a balance between contact and bat speed, where we fall on that spectrum I think is where we disagree.

Would you agree that all else equal (meaning contact rates stay the same) more bat speed is better?

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@C_R_Enn @JMikeMLB Survivorship bias.

Also, I think the best coaches are the ones who can take high level data and make it simple and actionable for hitters.

There’s a difference between knowing which outcomes improve our performance vs actually COACHING players to reach those intended outcomes

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@C_R_Enn @JMikeMLB I could say the same thing about using 1 team.

Also the Rays are modern day Moneyball. If the rest of the league has overcorrected and are overpaying for HRs/SLG etc, then player who don’t fit that mold might be undervalued, but that still doesn’t disprove the data here.

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@GoGoGolson @JMikeMLB My counter to this would be—more bat speed allows for balls hit deeper in the zone to be hit harder that can get thru infield for more singles.

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@C_R_Enn @JMikeMLB Disagree here. Hitters are actually improving vs high level pitching, not getting worse. The problem is that pitchers were getting much better at a faster rate than hitters—but that gap is slowly closing.

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@GoGoGolson @JMikeMLB Data shows players with higher bat speed (on average) have higher batting average, SLG and wOBA against all pitch types.

there’s a misunderstanding between increasing bat speed thru training vs just telling players to swing as hard as they can. I want the former, not the latter.

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@GoGoGolson @JMikeMLB If more bat speed makes hitters less adjustable, then what do you think is the reason hitters with higher bat speeds (on average) perform better vs ALL pitch types than hitters with below avg bat speed?

[T.I.L.T Athletics @tiltbase]

@JMikeMLB You disagree that the data I showed doesn’t illustrate hitter performance relationship to bat speed? Or something else.