I started compiling the content for this post well before Nate's two HR game tonight, I swear.
Known for being a somewhat of a streaky player,
Nate Schierholtz has been an average hitter for an abysmal San Francisco Giants' offense in 2011. He's been a valuable piece on a first place team when you factor in his excellent defense, clutch hits, and respectable speed on the basepaths.
Just recently, Schierholtz has been making some fairly significant changes to his batting stance. I won't cite any specific stats due to small sample sizes, but Nate is definitely hitting the ball hard on a more consistent basis. Perhaps even more importantly, he's also drawing an occasional walk. To illustrate the changes he's made, I've included an image from every series in the past two weeks below.
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| June 22nd vs. MIN |
This is pretty much the stance Nate's been using since he's joined the Giants. His front leg is open, his knees are bent, and his hands are around his shoulders. It's strikingly similar to
Brandon Belt's setup.
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| June 25th vs. CLE |
Just three days later, we start to see some minor changes. Nate has closed up his stance a bit, and his hands seem closer to his body. Lastly, his right heel is now firmly planted on the ground.
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| June 28th vs. CHC |
This shot at Wrigley confirms that the changes we've seen are somewhat permanent. In addition, Nate almost seems to be leaning back into a sitting-like position, similar to the Dodgers'
Andre Ethier.
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| July 1st vs. DET |
We're starting to see a trend here. Nate continues to move his hands slightly higher and his front foot closer to the plate. He hit especially well in the Detroit series, registering three multi-hit games.
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| July 4th vs. SDP |
There aren't many changes from the stance Nate displayed on July 1st, but I included this image because the camera angle is essentially the same as the angle used in the first image. Compare away!
I'm no hitting guru, but I know that simpler is usually better when it comes to batting stances. By eliminating his leg kick stride, Schierholtz has definitely made his stance simpler. This potentially allows him to see the ball earlier, which leads to all sorts of good things -- better pitch recognition, turning on the inside pitch, etc. And hey, even if the changes don't work out in the long run, we still have this:
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| He hit it off a ballerina too. Even better. |
