[ATTACH=CONFIG]4548[/ATTACH]What Clete Thomas experienced last year at the major league level was complete the oppositions’ complete ownership of the airspace in and around the strike zone. He was, as the internet kids say, pwned.

In 29 plate appearances in 2012, he struck out 16 times and did not draw a walk. What the data tells us, but does not need to, in that small sampling is that Thomas was a complete free-swinger. Not only that, he was chasing after anything that moved in the general vicinity of the stadium. This resulted in a quick and much needed demotion to Rochester.

The whiffing did not stop while playing in The Flower City (Author’s note: it’s a thing, look it up) either. He was thrown a chair a whopping 109 times in 426 plate appearances. After parting ways briefly in November, the Twins re-enlisted Thomas in December for outfield depth. He would be instructed to tone down his swing and improve his contact.

The idea of retooling a players’ swing or pitching mechanics fascinates me – particularly for guys on the fringe. You know that thing you have complete muscle memory for and are comfortable with? Change it. If it doesn't work? Oh well, you may be out of baseball. Pat on the butt and best of luck.

Plenty of struggling players are asked to rework this or tinker with that and the vast majority of them seem to stay at or near the level of production they had before the overhaul. That said, there are a few notable players who have turned their careers around by changing things up, like Roy Halladay or Jose Bautista. But Halladay and Bautista are the exception, not the rule. Locally, Twins hitters like Trevor Plouffe made improvements to his swing and that turned into one of the most potent 30-day power binges this state has ever seen. Although the third baseman has had trouble at third and staying healthy, he has shown signs of an ability to drive the ball better since his re-education. On the other hand, players like Delmon Young and Luke Hughes also made some adjustments that helped fuel brief hot stretches but never really made much progress long-term.

On the recent FSN broadcasts, Dick Bremer and Bert Blyleven lauded Thomas’s task of improving his contact rates helped to produce a fantastic start with Rochester in 2013. True, Thomas’s strikeout rate stayed the same with the Red Wings but it was not due to a wild swing. This edict not only incited changes in Thomas’s approach (i.e. plate discipline, pitch selection) but also in his mechanics to ensure a greater rate of contact. He improved his walk rate from 6% to 12% and with it came an increase in strikeouts looking. When he did put the bat on the ball, it packed punch. He raised his slugging percentage from .405 to .576 thanks to nine home runs in 36 games after hitting 12 in 109 last year.

Thomas’s changes started with the set. In 2012 (right) he stood more upright, holding his hands higher and kept his front foot opened. Comparatively, this year, Thomas has brought the front leg inward, lowered his hand level and a more compacted stance.

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The side-by-side differences are evident but how did it affect his swing?

Thomas has had a long, looping swing that has generated some power but far more empty swings – as evidence by his 23% strikeout rate in the minors and a 25% rate in the majors. With an opened and upright stance, Thomas exhibited a sizable load with his hands prior to bringing the bat through the zone. During his swing, his head would change planes, likely causing some hand-eye issues and resulting in the hefty in-zone swinging strike rates. Though many hitters have open-stances like pre-2013 Thomas has, those players typically have a toe-tap or timing mechanics (not unlike former Twin Jason Kubel) to keep their weight back and evenly distributed. In Thomas’s case, the front side is all drifting away from the plate leaving him susceptible to pitches away.

The most noticeable change is how muted his hand-load is. Instead of drawing back his hands as far as he did in 2012, he has a smaller loading point which quickens his hands and bat through the zone. With bat speed being one key to power, this alteration is part of the reason for the increase in power. Second, with the compacted stance, his head does not change planes as much which leads to added vision. If a hitter’s eye level is changed during the swing the hitter will have added difficulty squaring up on the ball. Last, with the more closed stance, his weight stays centered at the middle of the field rather than pulling open, giving him better plate coverage.

Dating back to his tenure with the Detroit Tigers and within their minor league organization, Thomas always had high levels of whiffability but also displayed enough power and speed to continue to be a considered a fourth outfielder candidate to be stashed away in Triple-A. However, once at the major league level, pitchers would exploit his deficiencies and render him uses at the plate. His work ethic of being able to revamp his approach and swing has made him a useful component to the organization. Thomas’s stay with the Twins may be short-lived once Aaron Hicks proves ready to return, nevertheless, credit him for being willing and able to make adjustments late in his career to provide value.