The Minnesota Twins have had one of the most recognizable and consistent offensive identities of any MLB team during the past five years. They don’t want to give up and fold after two strikes; they want to hit the ball hard, in the air, to the pull field. But there’s more to the tale.
The Twins were short on cash this winter. Due to the financial restrictions placed on them by the Pohlad family’s conservatism and the uncertainties surrounding the future of their TV rights contract, they were unable to update their positional corps. In order to strengthen their first base and designated hitter positions, they opted to sign veteran slugger Carlos Santana, in part due to his reasonable price, but also in part because of his excellent fit with their offensive scheme.
Analyze a hitter’s whereabouts and timing of swings to determine what they are attempting to accomplish at the bat. Aside from situational hitting and late-count plate protection, hitters show preferences for swinging in some zones and holding out in others. This is frequently due to their expected pitch location or bat path, as well as what their ideal outcome is for a particular pitch or at-bat.
Given Santana’s power and excellent career walk rates, one may assume that he is a switch-hitter who looks to turn the ball on and crunch it. Like most sluggers, he is pull-oriented, so pitchers will naturally find their breaking stuff running inside on him. As a result, they will frequently try to jam him inside with cutters and four-seamers as well.
Maybe because he is aware that those aren’t Santana’s preferred pitches.
Less Than 2 Strikes in Count for Swing Rate By Horizontal Pitch Location, 2023Third from the inside, middle, and outside
MLBSanta Ana 42.9~57.1~32.5 29.2~55.3~38.7
While Santana may not be an all-or-nothing slugger, he prefers to drive the bat head out when pitches are coming at him rather than attempting to spin and get close enough to the ball to cause damage with his hands closed.
Another noteworthy addition to the Twins’ batter lineup this season is Manuel Margot, whom they signed more for his defensive skills than his bat. Although he doesn’t have the same patient demeanour as Santana, his distribution isn’t all that different.
Less Than 2 Strikes in Count for Swing Rate By Horizontal Pitch Location, 2023Third from the inside, middle, and outside
MLBMargo 44.9 56.1 33.7 42.9 57.1 32.5
Margot is keen to strike things on the outer third but is much more aggressive on the inner third. Once more, the batter does not have to worry about protecting the plate because all of these figures are early in counts. While the two swing profiles we’re witnessing differ, they have one thing in common: they both attack the outside pitch and are less inclined to allow the pitcher to generate a high or low swing across the middle of the plate.
As a team, the Twins are eager swingers on the outer third, which probably won’t surprise you.
Less Than 2 Strikes in Count for Swing Rate By Horizontal Pitch Location, 2023Middle Third Inner ThirdOutside the Third
MLB32.5 57.1 42.9 Twins40.8 56.4 34.7
Compared to the typical team, they swing less frequently on inside and down-the-middle offerings, especially in early counts. However, they swing sixth most in MLB when they are out on the edge of the plate and beyond. What does that indicate to us?
