Amed Rosario Needs To Do More Of This For The Guardians In 2023
The offseason has come and gone and Amed Rosario is still on the Cleveland Guardians roster. Whether fans were hoping for a trade or had their fingers crossed that he would stick around, Rosario will be the starting shortstop in 2023.
This doesn't mean that Amed is immune from making adjustments or being held accountable. He has to prove he belongs because of the young talent itching to make their mark in the Big Leagues.
One part of Rosario's game that he needs to modify is his approach at the plate.
Guardians fans can expect more of the same lineup they saw in 2022. This includes the top three Steven Kwan, Rosario, and Jose Ramirez. Those that hit this far up in the lineup need to be able to do two things: get on base and see pitches.
Rosario checks the box on the first part of that. He finished last season with a batting average of .283 and a .715 OPS. Only a select number of players in MLB can compete with Rosario when his bat gets hot. When he has it going, watch out!
The second part is a little dicey. Rosario loves to swing at the first pitch and is ultra-aggressive which means he's not working that pitch count of the opposing starter up.
The shortstop actually does succeed more often than not when he jumps on the first pitch he sees. Rosario hit .529 with a 1.367 OPS when the count is at 0-0.
The issues arise if he doesn't get a hit on that first ball. Once Rosario gets down in the count he rarely gets on base. He had a batting average of under .210 in 1-2 counts and 2-2 counts in 2022.
At the end of the day, a player that is in the 4th percentile of chase rate won't have a ton of long-term success for their team. Especially, when there are other players in the lineup that can work counts well.
Rosario needs to be seeing more pitches and extending at-bats for the Guardians in 2023. If he does this those hitting behind will find more success too.
It's hard to tell a player to change their entire approach, especially when they've found some success with what they've been doing. But if Rosario wants to keep hitting second in the lineup this adjustment is going to need to happen to help Jose and Josh Bell who will be hitting right behind him.
However, there is another option. Why not move Rosario back in the lineup to hit sixth or seventh?
This would fit his plate approach much better than batting second and his RBI may even increase too. Rosario is a high-contact player, so allowing Kwan, Andres Gimenez, Ramirez, and company to get on base in front of him could benefit the entire offense.
I'm not saying Rosario is a liability or needs to be moved by any means, but his best fit on the team may no longer be hitting second.
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