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Do we know what happened to Walker’s power after the all-star game?
I think he only hit 7 or 8 HR following the break and he generally didn’t seem to hit as well overall.
I think him not getting an extension speaks volumes.
How concerned are you guys that Walker will regress at the plate moving forward?
I think Walker still had all the same power. And he still had decent bat-to-ball skills. His issue is pitch recognition. He seems to be always guessing. He will often take a first pitch straight fastball down the middle and then swing 2nd pitch at a slider moving off the plate (or vice versa). This seems to cause him to get into funks where he’s second guessing himself which leads to worse results. When he’s confident because he’s been doing well lately, he still has the same issue, but his swings are more consistent because he isn’t second guessing everything he does.
The underlying problem is pitch recognition. The secondary problem that can result from the first is lack of confidence. We saw him overcome the secondary issue in various stretches throughout the season and then inevitably fall back down at some point.
Maybe Walker getting off track and not getting back on track played a part in Brown being let go. It seemed like Wetherholt also had trouble staying on track at times. Herrera regressed. Winn has regressed for a couple years. Crooks suddenly couldn’t hit when he came up. Scott did much worse than he had in AAA. Blaze Jordan had been mashing in AAA and seemed to have trouble adjusting to ML pitching.
It seems like a wider issue than just Walker’s second half troubles. That said, it is the player who stands in, not the coach. But maybe all these guys will benefit from whatever change is in store with the coaching change.
I am sure the latest in high tech training to work on mechanics, timing and maybe recognition and approach is available to them over the winter. If there is a layoff, then it will be outside the organization, but maybe adjacent is certain ways. With a guy like Paul DeJong, it seemed like all that just made things worse. It would be more predictable if they were machines instead of people.
I think Walker will be fine going forward. He isn’t the first player to have a power shortage after a home run derby.
Love the optimism. But when a player goes from the outhouse to the penthouse as fast as Walker did, it makes me wonder.
The power is diminished by physical injuries, such as his knee and other less discussed maladies. Power is diminished by mental and physical fatigue. Power is profoundly affected by pitch recognition and swing decisions. There are other factors such as how a player like Walker divides his time when rehab abd physical demands take away from his film study or outfield work.
Being a power hitter is a dynamic synergy of factors, but most of what I percieved as contributing factors should be mitigated by an off season of rest, recovery, and preparation.If Walker can more or less duplicate 2026 in 2027 (prorated based on how many games get played) then next year will be his extension year.
I am glad they waited though.
Maybe Walker getting off track and not getting back on track played a part in Brown being let go. It seemed like Wetherholt also had trouble staying on track at times. Herrera regressed. Winn has regressed for a couple years. Crooks suddenly couldn’t hit when he came up. Scott did much worse than he had in AAA. Blaze Jordan had been mashing in AAA and had trouble adjusting to ML pitching.
Thanks Bling. Just goes to show what kind of a gem we have in Leonardo Abdiel Bernal, where even the worst hitting instructor on the planet couldn’t screw up his swing.
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