I am pretty sure the number one requirement to be an Athletics analyst is that you have to say that a player should "use the entire field" as many times as possible. Hey Bip Roberts, "why is Josh Reddick struggling?" Roberts: "Everything with him starts up the middle, and he is not doing that well." How about you Fosse, "What's up with Cespedes?" Fosse: "Trying to pull everything and not looking to go the other way." And Hatteberg, "What gives with Chris Young?" Hatteberg: "He just isn't using the entire field like he is capable of."
Of course. No problem. Why isn't Chili Davis having the guys use the entire field?
Well, he is trying. And it isn't going that great. Allow me to let everyone in on a little secret: hitting to all fields is hard. HARD. It takes the right swing, approach, build, and even a little luck. Hitting to all fields is the holy grail of hitting. And like Indiana Jones showed us, chasing after it can be dangerous.
How hard is hitting to all fields? Let's take a look at the hitters since 2002 who have put up a better than league average wOBA to pull, opposite, and center fields.
2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 |
Adam Jones | Adam Jones | Adrian Beltre | Adrian Beltre | Adam LaRoche | Adam LaRoche |
Adam Lind | Adam LaRoche | Adrian Gonzalez | Albert Pujols | Albert Pujols | Albert Pujols |
Buster Posey | Alejandro De Aza | Albert Pujols | Andre Ethier | Andre Ethier | Andre Ethier |
Carlos Gomez | Allen Craig | Andre Ethier | Andrew McCutchen | Andrew McCutchen | B.J. Upton |
David Ortiz | Andrew McCutchen | Andrew McCutchen | Angel Pagan | Asdrubal Cabrera | Brandon Phillips |
David Wright | Austin Jackson | Asdrubal Cabrera | Asdrubal Cabrera | B.J. Upton | Carlos Delgado |
Evan Longoria | Billy Butler | B.J. Upton | B.J. Upton | Billy Butler | Casey Blake |
Freddie Freeman | Bryce Harper | Billy Butler | Billy Butler | Brandon Phillips | Curtis Granderson |
Ian Desmond | Buster Posey | Brandon Phillips | Brandon Phillips | David Wright | David Wright |
James Loney | Chase Headley | Carlos Gonzalez | Carlos Gonzalez | Derrek Lee | Derrek Lee |
Jay Bruce | David Freese | David Ortiz | Corey Hart | Evan Longoria | Grady Sizemore |
Josh Donaldson | Hunter Pence | Dustin Pedroia | David Wright | Hanley Ramirez | Hanley Ramirez |
Justin Upton | Ian Desmond | Hunter Pence | Evan Longoria | Ichiro Suzuki | Ichiro Suzuki |
Manny Machado | Jason Heyward | Jacoby Ellsbury | Hunter Pence | Jayson Werth | Jhonny Peralta |
Mark Trumbo | Jay Bruce | Jeff Francoeur | Jayson Werth | Justin Upton | Lance Berkman |
Miguel Cabrera | Josh Hamilton | Josh Hamilton | Joey Votto | Kendrys Morales | Manny Ramirez |
Mike Trout | Mark Trumbo | Justin Upton | Josh Hamilton | Matt Holliday | Matt Holliday |
Paul Goldschmidt | Matt Holliday | Kelly Johnson | Justin Upton | Michael Young | Miguel Cabrera |
Starling Marte | Matt Wieters | Lance Berkman | Kelly Johnson | Miguel Cabrera | Nick Markakis |
Torii Hunter | Melky Cabrera | Mark Trumbo | Martin Prado | Nick Markakis | Ryan Braun |
Miguel Cabrera | Matt Kemp | Matt Holliday | Pablo Sandoval | ||
Mike Trout | Melky Cabrera | Miguel Cabrera | Prince Fielder | ||
Neil Walker | Michael Morse | Nick Markakis | Raul Ibanez | ||
Nick Swisher | Miguel Cabrera | Paul Konerko | Ryan Braun | ||
Pedro Alvarez | Miguel Montero | Rickie Weeks | Todd Helton | ||
Prince Fielder | Nelson Cruz | Robinson Cano | Victor Martinez | ||
Robinson Cano | Prince Fielder | Ryan Zimmerman | |||
Ryan Braun | Robinson Cano | Scott Rolen | |||
Ryan Doumit | Ryan Braun | Shin-Soo Choo | |||
Ryan Zimmerman | Seth Smith | Vladimir Guerrero | |||
Yadier Molina | Troy Tulowitzki | ||||
Victor Martinez |
2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 |
Aaron Rowand | Albert Pujols | Albert Pujols | Adrian Beltre | A.J. Pierzynski | Albert Pujols |
Albert Pujols | Alex Rodriguez | Alex Rodriguez | Albert Pujols | Albert Pujols | Alex Rodriguez |
Alex Rodriguez | Alfonso Soriano | Alfonso Soriano | Alex Rodriguez | Alfonso Soriano | Alfonso Soriano |
Alfonso Soriano | Bill Hall | Brian Roberts | Alfonso Soriano | Aubrey Huff | Carlos Beltran |
Andre Ethier | Brian McCann | David Ortiz | Bobby Abreu | Bret Boone | Derrek Lee |
Aramis Ramirez | Carlos Delgado | David Wright | Carlos Beltran | Carlos Delgado | Garret Anderson |
Chase Utley | Chase Utley | Derrek Lee | David Ortiz | Ivan Rodriguez | Ivan Rodriguez |
Chipper Jones | David Ortiz | Eric Chavez | Hank Blalock | Jose Guillen | Jeff Kent |
David Wright | David Wright | Manny Ramirez | Hideki Matsui | Preston Wilson | Lance Berkman |
Derrek Lee | Jermaine Dye | Mark Grudzielanek | Ivan Rodriguez | Todd Helton | Larry Walker |
Hanley Ramirez | Justin Morneau | Matt Holliday | Lance Berkman | Magglio Ordonez | |
Kevin Youkilis | Lance Berkman | Miguel Cabrera | Miguel Cabrera | Scott Rolen | |
Magglio Ordonez | Matt Holliday | Randy Winn | Phil Nevin | Todd Helton | |
Manny Ramirez | Miguel Cabrera | Richie Sexson | Randy Winn | Torii Hunter | |
Matt Holliday | Miguel Tejada | Todd Helton | Todd Helton | Vladimir Guerrero | |
Miguel Cabrera | Robinson Cano | ||||
Nick Markakis | Ryan Zimmerman | ||||
Prince Fielder | Todd Helton | ||||
Robinson Cano | Victor Martinez | ||||
Ryan Zimmerman | |||||
Todd Helton | |||||
Torii Hunter | |||||
Troy Tulowitzki | |||||
Victor Martinez |
Not a lot of names there. And the names there are absolutely the best hitters in the game. But some pretty good hitters aren't on the list as well. No Jose Bautista, Joe Mauer, or Carlos Beltran, to name a few.
My point is that maybe shooting for the absolutely best-of-the-best isn't the best fit for everyone. For example, we know that a mid-90s fastball, wipeout slider, and 12-6 curveball are pretty difficult to beat repertoire for pitchers. But would it make sense to try to have Tommy Milone develop into this kind of pitcher? No. Take Reddick for example. Sure, last year his opposite field numbers weren't great. And with all the effort he and Davis have spent trying to get him "to use the whole field" his opposite field numbers have risen (yet still below league average). But his center-field and (especially) pull numbers have nose-dived. Was this a smart move? I say no.
Josh Reddick | |||
Pull | Center | Opposite | |
2013 wOBA | 0.390 | 0.294 | 0.262 |
2012 wOBA | 0.582 | 0.309 | 0.227 |
So while telling a hitter to "use the entire field" isn't a bad thing, we just need to keep some frame of reference of how difficult that really is. I'm talking to you Fosse.