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sports12h ago
The Phillies Preach Patience, But Will Bryce’s Bat Benefit?
- Harper’s first-pitch swing percentage has dropped by 9.7% year over year, signaling a more patient at-bat approach.
- Team-wide swing rate also declined, suggesting a broader shift beyond Harper individually.
- Pitchers are starting Harper with more regionally in-zone offerings on 0-0 counts, altering early at-bats.
- The team added Adolis García, replacing Nick Castellanos, which may affect early-at-bat counts.
- Harper and García show notable changes in first-pitch approach, indicating a deeper strategic shift.
- The analysis questions whether the change is intentional strategy or early-season noise.
- Team-wide trend: Phillies have been less likely to get pitches in the zone last year than any other team.
- The piece frames the shift as a possible move to pressure pitchers into hitting counts.
- Overall, the impact of the early-season changes remains uncertain and may be influenced by small sample sizes.
- The analysis notes the broader goal of getting Harper into more hitters counts to pressure pitchers.
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