It’s not all bad news, though. This may actually be that Desmond is at the forefront of a more permanent and thus sustainable evolution in his game. The findings reveal that he’s now going back up the middle far more than in the past (40.4% of the time, a major increase from recent seasons), and, for the first time in his career, chasing far less frequently (his O-swing rate is down to 26.5%; his previous career high was 30.1%, and during his more powerful prime it was consistently in the mid 30’s).
A look at some of his heat maps also reveals that Desmond is now more successful in a greater portion of the hitting zone than ever before. Most specifically, for the first time in his career he’s now creating damage on more pitches on the extremities of the upper and lower halves of the strike zone.
This expansion in vertical productivity may be the result of a generally more patient approach at the plate. He appears to be waiting back on the ball more, and thus seeing it better, getting into more hitters counts, and opening up his range of options on which pitches he can cover.
Next: Andrew McCuthen should stay in Pittsburgh
Ian Desmond may not have been the player that the Texas Rangers wanted in free agency, but he is the player that they needed. Now, that signing borne of desperation and a lack of options appears to be the perfect match.