Article: Revisiting Aaron Hicks and Switch-Hitting

[twinsfaninsaudi]

Critical question:

 

Does he golf left handed or right handed?

[gil4]

Right now, Hicks gets a platoon advantage on 100% of his RH at-bats. How will his slash line react to only getting a platoon advantage 1/3 of the time?

 

That's not really the right thing to compare. He will still have the platoon advantage in all of the AB vs. LHP because that will be unchanged. The question is will he hit RHP better batting righthanded than he does now batting lefthanded.

 

He has been so bad with the platoon advantage vs. RHP that it's hard to see him doing worse without it, and it might actually help his line against LHP by giving him more swings from the right side.

[Willihammer]

Critical question:

 

Does he golf left handed or right handed?

Dogleg left or right?

[Guest USAFChief]

Critical question:

 

Does he golf left handed or right handed?

yes.

[stringer bell]

Back to the original topic: I would be very interested if someone has a breakdown of Hicks' swing from both sides and see if there is anything that stands out why he has clearly been a better right handed hitter. I am not an expert, but I just don't see anything that makes him that much worse as a left hander.

[jokin]

Back to the original topic: I would be very interested if someone has a breakdown of Hicks' swing from both sides and see if there is anything that stands out why he has clearly been a better right handed hitter. I am not an expert, but I just don't see anything that makes him that much worse as a left hander.

 

Lack of enough innate ambi-dexterity?

[cmathewson]

First of all, Happy Birthday! LST. Secondly, I am glad that you are able to play baseball at 63. I love to golf and this year I've been limited to 9 holes all year and I'm afraid that might be it for the season if not my career. Regarding Hicks--We are interpreting an anecdote into a whole pattern. It may well be that Hicks never is aware of who is pitching, but I doubt it. I have said that I think the team is setting the table to send him down and using this perception of lack of preparation rather than inability to hit. Maybe it is just the frustration--bad performance with little outward sign that he's trying to address the problem--that drove the brass to disclose the behind-the-scenes goings-on.

 

Berardino said he often talks to Hicks about the next pitcher or two. Hicks not only knows him, he has a plan. The whole preparation thing is comparable to Bartlett's leadership thing. It's just Gardy attributing bad habits to guys who are not hyperactive ADD guys like himself. Antony amplifying Gardy's stuff, after Gardy talked privately to the player is not only wrong, it's completely unwarranted.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

First of all, Happy Birthday! LST. Secondly, I am glad that you are able to play baseball at 63. I love to golf and this year I've been limited to 9 holes all year and I'm afraid that might be it for the season if not my career. Regarding Hicks--We are interpreting an anecdote into a whole pattern. It may well be that Hicks never is aware of who is pitching, but I doubt it. I have said that I think the team is setting the table to send him down and using this perception of lack of preparation rather than inability to hit. Maybe it is just the frustration--bad performance with little outward sign that he's trying to address the problem--that drove the brass to disclose the behind-the-scenes goings-on.

You put your finger on the issue that I have been searching for. Airing dirty laundry is nothing new, but typically the subjects are particular and who makes the statement even more so. Showing up to the ballpark "unprepared" is typically not mentioned, certainly not by the acting GM. That's as much an indictment of the GM and coaching staff as it is of Hicks. His prep skills have been his own throughout his career. It's not like he developed a bad habit of lack of prep in 2014. Usually the manager or hitting coach would say "Hicksy is scuffling a little bit, we'll get him a day off and some extra time in the cage to see if we can't straighten it out". For Antony to come out and say he's too laid back and unprepared points to something more. (Wrong with Hicks or in the plans to do with him)

[Shane Wahl]

Berardino said he often talks to Hicks about the next pitcher or two. Hicks not only knows him, he has a plan. The whole preparation thing is comparable to Bartlett's leadership thing. It's just Gardy attributing bad habits to guys who are not hyperactive ADD guys like himself. Antony amplifying Gardy's stuff, after Gardy talked privately to the player is not only wrong, it's completely unwarranted.

 

 

Spot on.

[Dantes929]

If hitting from the left side is an advantage because the batter is closer to 1st base then the advantage should be taken for all it is worth. Batting left, Hicks should be bunting at least once a game. I would bet he could add 50 points to his average doing that alone.

[DocBauer]

This is a roughly accurate, admittedly not 100% stat break down for consideration. Read a lot of posts pertaining to Hicks, he is definitely a hot topic, and grew very curious about some numbers. Just some comparable numbers to chew on, digest and ponder.

 

Player A. 5 primary season in the minors: 275/380/426/806 Ages 18-22

Player B. 3 primary seasons in the minors: 277/345/397/742 Ages 19-21

Player C. 7 primary seasons in the minors: 269/334/418/752 Ages 18-24

*Player C's stats somewhat skewed by a big half season plus after milb demotion

 

As intelligent and well informed as everyone is here at TD, I'm sure most can recognize a pattern here, all three players having played with the Twins previously, and probably even some very good guesses who the players might be.

 

Player A: Hicks

Player B: Carlos Gomez

Player C: Torii Hunter

 

Now, SB wise, Gomez blows Hicks and Hunter away. Otherwise, as milb numbers go, Hicks's milb career rates ahead of the other former Twins in virtually every category. Is this a be-all tell-all? Absolutely not. But every prospect starts somewhere. And I think this comparison is important as people blast and rally against a still very young and inexperienced Hicks. Further, for better or worse, Gomez was promoted very early, seeing extensive action as a 22y.o. I've read arguements how he compares better to Hicks due to said early promotion. Considering the results, I have to disagree at this being a positive. For what it's worth, his composite numbers for those 4 seasons, ages 22-25 were:

240/289/364/654 with his best season being the first.

 

Not exactly earth shattering. Hunter's first 2 seasons, comparable at age 24&25 were: 268/314/394/708 with his second season numbers better than his first.

 

Hicks' first season: 192/259/338/597

So far this season: 198/339/271/610

 

Nothing about this is meant to excuse the Twins for not addressing alternatives for the CF situation last season and this one. Nor is it meant as a precursor that Hicks will also achieve future all-star status. And it is definitely no excuse for Hicks not to work or prepare properly as has been pointed out be Gardy.

 

However, it is interesting to remember how Gomez struggled his first few years, as did Hunter, like Hicks, being sent down to the minors after his initial ML appearance. In fact Hunter and Hicks might be a better comparison in regard to promotion and demotion.

 

And as last reminder, Hicks was promoted, certainly too early, after his AA season. (Quality though it may have been) And again, milb numbers are a guide but not a guarantee. But I find it interesting that Hicks, a former top 100 prospect, deemed untouchable as recent as 2012, had better overall milb stats than Hunter or Gomez.

 

Yes he needs work offensive and defensively. But the recent re-post of cutting Dozier at this time last year, coupled with these numbers here, might offer up some perspective that frustration should be tempered with some patience as well.

[Mike Sixel]

All the talk of the hitting ignores his bad defense.....all the anecdotes (sp?) about other hitters turning out ignores all the hitters that do not turn out......none of those are SH that can't hit from one side at all......none of those were nearly as bad in the majors (even though they were bad)......Hicks, despite his speed, can't seem to steal bases..... I really don't see a professional out there, I see a somehow still raw athlete (even after 5+ years in professional baseball).