I have two charts to show you. The first is Buster Posey's batted balls in play since he was called up in late May (they're projected onto Mays Field but the chart includes home and away):
Now, here are Posey's batted balls in play since July 17, the Saturday home game vs. the Mets in which he hit a home run just over the wall near the right-field foul pole (he hasn't hit a home run since):
There -- you can see the opposite field dinger, so bright and green and shiny up in the arcade!
Why am I worrying? Perhaps you remember the last time I publicly fretted about Posey. I wondered how the opposite-field power he showed on the pre-All Star road trip (six home runs, five to center or right) might not play as well at home. Of course, he went and knocked one out five days later, but since then, a couple things of note:
- Posey has basically stopped hitting the ball to left field. Weird, huh?
- He's had 75 plate appearances and four extra-base hits, all doubles. Other than that, six walks, an HBP, and 18 singles.
Long-term, I'm not worried at all. He's got a beautiful inside-out swing that reminds me of Derek Jeter. He'll hit and hit and hit, perhaps not for crazy power but quite nicely for a catcher, thanks very much. But near-term, what with the grind of catching every day and the inevitable adjustments opposing teams will make, I worry that down the stretch he'll basically be a singles hitter. Taken out of context, a high-average hitting catcher who plays great defense is a wonderful thing. In the context of this team, this year, this pennant race, the Giants need every extra-base hit they can get from their cleanup hitter. (Thank goodness the leadoff hitter and number three hitter are doing a damn fine job of extra-base hitting.)
I'm probably wrong. Buster is just going through another mini-slump. He's 6 for 25 since his hitting streak ended, which isn't so bad compared to the 8 for 52 that ambushed him the second half of June. But just as the Giants are sensitive to the possibility of Madison Bumgarner running out of gas down the stretch, I betcha they've thought the same could happen to Buster. His career high as a pro for games played in a season: 115. He's getting close. Don't be surprised if he plays more often at first base, especially in hot-weather situations.
Now, here are Posey's batted balls in play since July 17, the Saturday home game vs. the Mets in which he hit a home run just over the wall near the right-field foul pole (he hasn't hit a home run since): 
There -- you can see the opposite field dinger, so bright and green and shiny up in the arcade!Why am I worrying? Perhaps you remember the last time I publicly fretted about Posey. I wondered how the opposite-field power he showed on the pre-All Star road trip (six home runs, five to center or right) might not play as well at home. Of course, he went and knocked one out five days later, but since then, a couple things of note:
- Posey has basically stopped hitting the ball to left field. Weird, huh?
- He's had 75 plate appearances and four extra-base hits, all doubles. Other than that, six walks, an HBP, and 18 singles.
Long-term, I'm not worried at all. He's got a beautiful inside-out swing that reminds me of Derek Jeter. He'll hit and hit and hit, perhaps not for crazy power but quite nicely for a catcher, thanks very much. But near-term, what with the grind of catching every day and the inevitable adjustments opposing teams will make, I worry that down the stretch he'll basically be a singles hitter. Taken out of context, a high-average hitting catcher who plays great defense is a wonderful thing. In the context of this team, this year, this pennant race, the Giants need every extra-base hit they can get from their cleanup hitter. (Thank goodness the leadoff hitter and number three hitter are doing a damn fine job of extra-base hitting.)
I'm probably wrong. Buster is just going through another mini-slump. He's 6 for 25 since his hitting streak ended, which isn't so bad compared to the 8 for 52 that ambushed him the second half of June. But just as the Giants are sensitive to the possibility of Madison Bumgarner running out of gas down the stretch, I betcha they've thought the same could happen to Buster. His career high as a pro for games played in a season: 115. He's getting close. Don't be surprised if he plays more often at first base, especially in hot-weather situations.
