Dark side of analytics facing 2020 Phillies

Coaching by the numbers:       

Blaming the Phillies hitting coach is no more the complete answer than pointing fingers at Kapler because each deserve their share of it. So does the player. Yes, the star relies on the coach to notice slight differences in his mechanics, and the manager makes in-game calls partly based on the coach’s input.

Atop the list of questions, Rhys Hoskins‘ uppercut swing is the launch-angle method to bashing more round-trippers. His problem, therefore, is mechanical, but even a new voice couldn’t fix his approach. However, the second-half runs scored before Manuel were 4.1 per game and 5 per contest under Manuel.

In 2018, Odubel Herrera frequently took one or two pitches per at-bat without making an effort because the analytical coach was stressing pitches per AB. Well, with 2-3 more offerings Herrera had four pitches on average. Manuel’s advice, though, was to swing at good pitches even if it’s the first one.

As for Roman Quinn, he was off to a rare dismal start. And his ineffectiveness continued through Aug. 12: the fired hitting coach’s last ballgame. Then, he immediately smacked six hits in 13 at-bats in the four contests from Aug. 13 to his season-ending injury.

Three-sided coin: The coach, the skipper and the player are to blame: all three. To illustrate, rookie Adam Haseley didn’t change his plate approach of hitting down on the ball. So, batting a certain way wasn’t mandatory; therefore, the player himself deserves his fair share.