Angels shortstop Andrew Velazquez shows improvement at the plate with new approach – Press Enterprise

OAKLAND — Andrew Velazquez’s current uptick in offensive production began, like most modifications in baseball, in his head.

The Angels shortstop mentioned he stopped pondering of himself as a No. 9 hitter just attempting to punch the ball someplace.

“That mentality locked me up, obtained me a small timid at the plate,” Velazquez mentioned on Sunday. “I was getting rid of my barrel for the reason that I was seeking to keep inside of and finesse balls. Which is not me. I’m gonna go up there and feel I’m gonna strike the ball really hard. That frees me up to be an athlete. And I hit the ball tricky.”

In Velazquez’s very last 9 video games heading into Sunday, he hit .276 with a weighted on-base share of .353, as opposed with .137 and .193 right before that. His ordinary exit velocity in the the latest extend has been 92.3 mph, which is up from 88.9 mph ahead of that. He hit his 1st homer of the period on Friday night. He added an RBI double down the proper-discipline line on Sunday.

Despite the fact that the enhancement began a several times just after Velazquez noticeably extra a leg kick to the two his right-handed and left-handed swings in late April, he claimed he normally goes back and forth with a leg kick.

“It’s a lot more timing than nearly anything,” he explained.

Velazquez believes the change is just that he’s now trying to push the ball, instead of just set it into participate in.

Manager Joe Maddon has observed the advancement, far too.

“His batting exercise is quite outstanding,” Maddon said. “He’s not tall (5-foot-9), but it’s really hard to be stronger than him. That (homer) did not shock any of us. He’s heading to do that additional frequently than you consider. As he gains extra self-confidence, it is just about him determining or comprehending what he does ideal in the strike zone. Zero in on that and not give pitchers breaks by swinging at elevation and things in the dust. As soon as he generates a finite strike zone, he can be quite excellent.”

The Angels really don’t want Velazquez to be that superior at the plate, simply because he’s been this kind of a activity-changer in the subject. He’s routinely created spectacular performs, and the Angels are maximizing his worth by moving him to the pull facet of the second base on each solitary hitter.

Velazquez has five defensive operates saved, which is 2nd most between main league shortstops.

PITCHING Options

The Angels have set their rotation for the upcoming sequence in Texas, with Noah Syndergaard, Reid Detmers and Shohei Ohtani pitching in the 3 online games.