The Twins made another exciting off-season move this weekend, signing ex-Rays and Marlins 1B/DH Logan Morrison to a 1 year deal worth $6.5 million. The Twins continued their strong push in free-agency this winter. Morrison’s deal has a team option which will vest at 600 plate appearances. With escalators, he can earn a maximum of $16.5 million over the next two seasons. It’s worth noting that the Twins have positioned themselves carefully and strategically this off-season, maintaining financial flexibility through inking their additions to one or two year deals. Minnesota remains poised with a deep pool of talent on the farm to make in-season acquisitions if and when necessary. Most projection systems have Morrison as around a 1-2 win player in 2018, which, if true, is another bargain for the cost-opportunistic Twins front office in a stagnant winter of free agency.

Morrison is a fascinating player. His power surge made him the Statcast poster boy for the 2017 season. Before 2017 Morrison’s career high for HR was 23, in his first full season with the Marlins in 2011. Adjustments in Morrison’s approach at the plate led to an increase in HR from 14 to 38 (albeit with considerably more plate appearances), an increase in OBP from .319 in 2016 to .353 in 2017, and a huge climb in BB%, from 9.3% in 2016, to 13.5% in 2017, (good for 14th in the league among hitters who made at least 500 PA). Per Statcast, Morrison increased his launch angle from 12.1 degrees to 17.4 degrees in 2017 in an attempt to hit more balls in the air. Boy, did that ever work. Along with his adjusted launch angle, how did Morrison’s approach at the plate differ in 2017? Is his 2017 season a sign of things to come, or a statistical anomaly?

David Laurila of Fangraphs captured some interesting comments from Morrison that get at the heart of his different approach as of 2017:

‘I’ve looked at the all-stars in the league, and what they believe. I’ve heard guys say if they fly out 3 or 4 times a night, that’s a good night. I was always taught to hit the ball on the ground and run, and I’m not even fast. Now my ‘back to basics' is hitting a fly ball up the middle (instead of a ground ball up the middle). Valuing that side of it – launch angle and stuff – has helped me a lot.’

Morrison’s shift in approach is obvious from the ground-out from a pitch up in the zone when he was still a member of the Marlins, versus the slobberknocker he deposits from Buck Farmer of the Tigers when with the Rays in 2017, where he is clearly sitting on a pitch up.

Morrison also shared some thoughts on pitch location:

‘As far as pitch location, I’m more of an up-and-middle, middle-away guy. I just think there’s a lot of stuff down and in that can get you out if you’re actually looking there.’

Morrison showed a tendency in 2017 to ere on the side of pulling the ball, while attempting to jump on pitches middle high. In 2017 Morrison put around 5% more pitches in play to center field than he did in 2016 and reduced his pitches in play to opposite field slightly to boot. This is born out in a heat map of portions of the strike zone Morrison swung at in 2017. This is interesting given the trend of pitchers working fastballs up in the zone which the Rays themselves pioneered. That is exactly what Morrison is looking for.

Morrison may well not replicate his incredible 2017. Even if Morrison is a 22-28 home run hitter in 2018, he provides valuable insurance with Miguel Sano expected to begin the season suspended, and adds another potent bat at DH to an already formidable lineup when Sano returns. If Morrison can stay with his approach of hitting fly-balls to center field, a good number of them should exit Target Field as souvenirs this summer.