While this is not true for every hitter, for me, I would get into these streaks where I would hit the ball right in the center, and the ball would knuckle off of the bat. While this did display my incredible hand-eye coordination, and bat-to-ball skills, I was only hitting singles b/c the knuckling took the ball right out of the air, just like it does for a pitcher.
I noticed that my weight was flying forward just a hair too early. I was identifying a pitch I could drive, but by allowing my weight to fly forward of my center, I was hitting the ball 1/2" too high on the ball instead of getting back spin on the ball when making contact.
In order to fix this, I had to work on having a soft front foot. This allowed my weight to remain in my load just a hair longer, which kept my weight over my center at the point of contact and allowed me to hit against a stiff front leg, which allowed me to get backspin on the ball and the organic result was lifting the ball or in your parlance - getting to a higher launch angle.
The last thing I needed to consistently get the ball up in the air more was a high finish. I tended to wrap my bat around my mid-section after contact. By adding a higher finish after contact, with staying back just a hair, this allowed me to hit the bottom half of the baseball, get backspin, and to get my linedrives into a launch angel which would allow them to carry out of the ballpark.
I only wish I'd had the opportunity to continue this learning in Professional baseball. Alas, some things are just meant to be and I believe it is meant to be that Tatis, Jr. gets back to getting backspin on the ball and increasing his launch angle and I would not be surprised to see him reach 20-25 HRs this season.
I agree I think 20-25 is possible. But I also feel like that’s who he is now. I don’t think he is a 40 HR player like that one year suggests. It’s just odd when you see a player max out his power at the age of 22
Injuries... and pitch selection. I don't know if you are aware of his shoulder injury, but it was very similar to the one Trevor Story had when he basically tore everything in Anaheim a couple of seasons ago. Story's throwing arm hasn't been the same since. As all Red Sox fans can see, Stroy actually throws on the run b/c he feels that he cannot get anything on the throw, or feels that's the most accurate way for him to throw at this point.
Tatis did that to the other shoulder. It was a partial dislocation, which leads to the slightest of labrum tears when you try to play through it. I only know b/c I did play through it, and now I cannot put a plate into a shelf in a cabinet above hip level b/c of the weakness in the shoulder, the wearing away of cartilage, and not having access to the level of Orthopedic Doctors and operations that these guys have access to. I am glad Tatis is able to play and perform at the level he can. I hope to be proven wrong over time and to see him finish with a long, Hall of Fame worthy career.
As far as pitch selection, Tatis can search for very specific pitch location on pitches middle-in which should allow him to hit line drives that travel about 370' to straight away left. Vladimir Guerrero is a master at hitting hard line drives that just appear to go out of the ballpark. Tatis can do this, too. But, hitting the ball out consistently to CF or RF might be a thing of the past for him.
PEDs. Yup. The lack of the PEDs. He’s now just full of machismo, and that’s not getting it done.
I also think he knows mentally that the Padres had their perfect team and perfect chance to get to the 2024 WS. That was their chance and the Dodgers stopped them- mentally.
That five game NLDS series in October was mentally it for that team. All of that bravado with Machado , Arraez, Profar, Bogaerts… Tatis Jr. is a very emotional player, and while I think he’s talented, I think the chip on his shoulder may be far more detrimental than the post-surgery swing changes.
While this is not true for every hitter, for me, I would get into these streaks where I would hit the ball right in the center, and the ball would knuckle off of the bat. While this did display my incredible hand-eye coordination, and bat-to-ball skills, I was only hitting singles b/c the knuckling took the ball right out of the air, just like it does for a pitcher.
I noticed that my weight was flying forward just a hair too early. I was identifying a pitch I could drive, but by allowing my weight to fly forward of my center, I was hitting the ball 1/2" too high on the ball instead of getting back spin on the ball when making contact.
In order to fix this, I had to work on having a soft front foot. This allowed my weight to remain in my load just a hair longer, which kept my weight over my center at the point of contact and allowed me to hit against a stiff front leg, which allowed me to get backspin on the ball and the organic result was lifting the ball or in your parlance - getting to a higher launch angle.
The last thing I needed to consistently get the ball up in the air more was a high finish. I tended to wrap my bat around my mid-section after contact. By adding a higher finish after contact, with staying back just a hair, this allowed me to hit the bottom half of the baseball, get backspin, and to get my linedrives into a launch angel which would allow them to carry out of the ballpark.
I only wish I'd had the opportunity to continue this learning in Professional baseball. Alas, some things are just meant to be and I believe it is meant to be that Tatis, Jr. gets back to getting backspin on the ball and increasing his launch angle and I would not be surprised to see him reach 20-25 HRs this season.
I agree I think 20-25 is possible. But I also feel like that’s who he is now. I don’t think he is a 40 HR player like that one year suggests. It’s just odd when you see a player max out his power at the age of 22
Injuries... and pitch selection. I don't know if you are aware of his shoulder injury, but it was very similar to the one Trevor Story had when he basically tore everything in Anaheim a couple of seasons ago. Story's throwing arm hasn't been the same since. As all Red Sox fans can see, Stroy actually throws on the run b/c he feels that he cannot get anything on the throw, or feels that's the most accurate way for him to throw at this point.
Tatis did that to the other shoulder. It was a partial dislocation, which leads to the slightest of labrum tears when you try to play through it. I only know b/c I did play through it, and now I cannot put a plate into a shelf in a cabinet above hip level b/c of the weakness in the shoulder, the wearing away of cartilage, and not having access to the level of Orthopedic Doctors and operations that these guys have access to. I am glad Tatis is able to play and perform at the level he can. I hope to be proven wrong over time and to see him finish with a long, Hall of Fame worthy career.
As far as pitch selection, Tatis can search for very specific pitch location on pitches middle-in which should allow him to hit line drives that travel about 370' to straight away left. Vladimir Guerrero is a master at hitting hard line drives that just appear to go out of the ballpark. Tatis can do this, too. But, hitting the ball out consistently to CF or RF might be a thing of the past for him.
Comparing him to Vladdy Jr is a good idea. Vladdy Jr too had a big HR season but he has not seen the same power numbers
Vladdy, Jr could care less about Launch Angle. He is just committed to murdering the baseball💪🏼🤣💥
PEDs. Yup. The lack of the PEDs. He’s now just full of machismo, and that’s not getting it done.
I also think he knows mentally that the Padres had their perfect team and perfect chance to get to the 2024 WS. That was their chance and the Dodgers stopped them- mentally.
That five game NLDS series in October was mentally it for that team. All of that bravado with Machado , Arraez, Profar, Bogaerts… Tatis Jr. is a very emotional player, and while I think he’s talented, I think the chip on his shoulder may be far more detrimental than the post-surgery swing changes.
It’s just odd that he is hitting the ball harder than he ever has. It’s all about swing path I think
So you don’t think there’s anything mental /emotional going on?
Mental sure. A big part of hitting is mental.