Adley Rutschman’s ninth-inning walkoff home run on Wednesday afternoon was another demonstration that the Orioles’ switch-hitting catcher is on a tear. And the hits have come, in part, thanks to a more aggressive approach at the dish.
Hitting a baseball is not a one-size-fits-all activity, of course. Take free-swinging first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who’s currently topping his career averages in average, slugging, OPS, and others. He’s doing it by being more selective, especially by swinging less often at the first pitch. Mountcastle’s swing rate is -10.7 points from last season. Two immediate effects: he’s striking out less and he’s spraying the ball around more, with the highest oppo-field percentage of his career.