Breaking Down the First Week of Jake Bauers’ New Plate Approach

“I’ve never felt as good hitting as I do now.”

Jake Bauers said as much a few days ago when he arrived for his second straight spring training with the Cleveland Indians. Coming off a let-down season, one which ended with manager Terry Francona challenging him to develop a better routine, Bauers spent the winter tweaking his swing.

Refreshed and ready to put his rocky Indians debut behind him, he arrived in Goodyear, Arizona eager to show off everything he learned over the offseason. His Opening Day roster spot no longer guaranteed, displaying some improved plate production would definitely improve Bauers' odds of starting the year in Cleveland.

With one week of spring ball now in the books, it seems like a good a time to check in and see how his new offensive approach looks so far.

Overall, Bauers has logged three hits in 12 at-bats, two singles and a double. Of these hits, two came in Friday’s bout against the Chicago White Sox. All in all, he’s slashing .250/.250/.333 after four games of action.

Obviously, the sample size isn’t going to offer you too much insight. It would’ve been lofty to assume he (or anyone not named Franmil Reyes) would just arrive to camp and begin tearing the cover off the ball.

For a deeper analysis, let’s look at the at-bats themselves. In doing so, you’ll realize patience isn’t exactly something Bauers is displaying just yet.

In 12 at-bats, Bauers has seen a total of 23 pitches, an average of a little less than two pitches per at-bat. Only one of his plate appearances has involved more than three pitches. Both of his spring strikeouts have come on three pitches, one with him swinging at all three and the other watching each pass him by.

Bauers saw a total of ten pitches in his first three at-bats of the spring. Of his next nine, only twice has he had an at-bat last longer than one pitch.

It would seem Bauers is already more than willing to unload his new swing as quickly as possible.

Another notable callout? Of the 23 pitches Bauers has faced so far this spring, only two were balls. This is a little troubling, especially when looking at his splits from 2019.

Unsurprisingly, Bauers saw some of his best offensive production when ahead in the count last season. He generated a 148 wRC+ through 2-0 counts, and a 152 wRC+ through 3-1 counts.

There was just one small problem – Bauers didn’t find himself ahead too often.

Only 73 of his 2019 plate appearances occurred through a 2-0 count, with just 59 through 3-1. Pitchers far more frequently found themselves ahead of Bauers last year, as he was down 1-2 in 137 of his plate appearances.

Falling behind often led to his downfall in 2019, as his strikeout rate jumped to 36.1% as soon as the count was 0-1, while his walk rate plummeted to just 4.1%.

Sure, everyone’s K-rate increases when they’re two strikes away from being punched out. However, Bauers struggled to produce across the board when facing unfavorable or even counts last year.

Below is a look at his 2019 OPS and wRC+ by count, in situations where he was either even or behind. Keep in mind, 100 is league average for wRC+, while FanGraphs lists .710 as average for OPS.

As you can see, it’d be beneficial for Bauers to develop a little more discipline at the plate this spring.

That said, it’s understandable to see him looking anxious during the opening week of live action. After spending the winter adjusting his approach and clearing his head, he’s likely over-eager to prove himself and show off everything he’s learned.

Cleveland’s crowded outfield is surely adding pressure, as well.

Bauers’ spot on the opening day roster isn’t easy to find at the moment, something which surely weighs on him every time he steps to the plate. In order to avoid starting the season in Columbus, he’ll need to impress in Arizona.

With only a week of at-bats to work with, it’s still safe to blame Bauers’ offensive impatience on his wanting to do too much too early. There’s always a chance the 24-year-old settles his nerves and begins to look more comfortable.

It’d be ideal for him to do so in a hurry, though. With the likelihood of his grabbing an Indians roster spot already up in the air, Bauers can’t afford to let the opening week jitters affect him too much longer.