Article: It's All Right: Hicks Gives Up Switch-Hitting

[longstrangetrip]

Good article, Nick. I'm guardedly optimistic, which is two 3-syllable words that allows me to avoid forming an opinion. With Fuld not ready to contribute, I'm okay with Hicks seeing what he can do with his switch in the majors. Today was a promising start, with a couple hits along with 2 K's. As I mentioned in another thread, I didn't see his second K, but the first was on a very tough slider...so I excuse that one.

 

RiverB makes a great point above though. Aaron hasn't looked sharp at all batting LH against tough breaking balls, so the bar is already set pretty low. He also has a fairly good eye, as evidenced by his high walk rate, so maybe he will learn quickly how to lay off the outside slider. Time will tell...

[stringer bell]

Good article Nick. I have been in the camp saying that it would be folly to give up the platoon advantage, but if the young man is so overwhelmed trying to groove two swings, maybe going only with his "strong" side will work out. The article gives a proper perspective how steep the odds are that this move will be a success. It seems like there isn't much to lose by giving it a shot.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I believe it's misguided (more like insane, really) to expect Hicks to learn how to hit from one side of the plate against MLB pitchers. He needs to go down to Rochester the moment the Twins can find a suitable replacement.

[AlwaysinModeration]

I think the most obvious impact this has is that Bonnes isn't going to have to work quite so hard to come up with a "big switch" this week.

[Mike Sixel]

I'd guess the sample size of SH that exist is small. I'd guess the sample size that gave it up is quite small. I'd guess that the sample size of legit prospects that gave it up is even smaller. I respect that he's willing to give this a shot. It was clearly a hard decision, but adults make hard decisions, and he's done that here. I am hopeful.

[Twinswatcher]

It is surprising that a switch hitter would choose to hit right handed when all of the advantages are clearly with a left-handed hitter. The decision speaks volumes about the complete lack of confidence in his left handed swing. I'm not sure how you get to the big leagues with such a flaw in your game.

[Halsey Hall]

Hicks will see a ton of sliders from now til he learns to lay off. It could get worse before we see some improvement. Hopefully he's a quick learner with this, which he hasn't shown yet.

[Dantes929]

I'd guess the sample size of SH that exist is small. I'd guess the sample size that gave it up is quite small. I'd guess that the sample size of legit prospects that gave it up is even smaller. .

Exactly my thoughts. Add in the number that should never have taken it up in the 1st place. Hick's splits have always impeded his progress and my guess was that the absolute ceiling for hitting lefty against righty was the same as his stats batting righty against righty. Doesn't take much logic to say that is a losing proposition if the brightest outlook is to break even. As far as I am concerned Hicks should be judged from this day forward. Getting all his reps from the right side should do nothing but help. I remember Jim Eisenriech trying switch hitting in legion ball. He was ok but he was never going to be as good from the right side so gave it up. Someone should have recognized that in Hicks as well. I tend to give the Twins more benefit of the doubt but if a doofus like me can see it and predict it just from stats and his slow development I have to lay some blame at their feet. It shouldn't have been a decision in the hands of Hicks to start with. This is long overdue, IMO.

[golfboy1]

I have seen enough young players produce before their time to hope he adjusts. I mentioned Dozier. But what about Knoblauch? Or Hrbek. Hunter was as raw as they come when he came up. Even Puckett had a lot to learn. And what harm is it doing him? Gomez turned out all right. If a guy just never adjusts, maybe he didn't have the talent after all. How can we be so sure that it will stunt his growth?

 

 

None of those players struggled anywhere close to Hicks level. Most of them didn't struggle all that much. Knoblauch was ROY, Hrbek was 2nd for ROY ( behind Ripken I believe).

 

Gomez had the ability to hit, he just had zero plate discipline & made mistakes from being overeager. Tori Hunter actually was sent back to AAA after spending a full yr (1999) in the ML so maybe getting sent back to the minors isn't such a bad idea.

 

Personally, I don't see how anyone can argue that Hicks shouldn't be in AAA learning to play CF & work on his hitting. You can make a case that he isn't because the Twins have done a horrible job of mishandling him & they don't have any better options right now. But to think a guy who has hit less than .200 in 2 seasons & is now going to hit RH all the time should be doing so in the ML seems crazy.

 

I agree that Presley or Fuld are not world beaters BUT even they are actually upgrades over Hicks & more importantly, they allow Hicks to develop & learn in AAA, which is where he should have been all along.

[tobi0040]

Exactly my thoughts. Add in the number that should never have taken it up in the 1st place. Hick's splits have always impeded his progress and my guess was that the absolute ceiling for hitting lefty against righty was the same as his stats batting righty against righty. Doesn't take much logic to say that is a losing proposition if the brightest outlook is to break even. As far as I am concerned Hicks should be judged from this day forward. Getting all his reps from the right side should do nothing but help. I remember Jim Eisenriech trying switch hitting in legion ball. He was ok but he was never going to be as good from the right side so gave it up. Someone should have recognized that in Hicks as well. I tend to give the Twins more benefit of the doubt but if a doofus like me can see it and predict it just from stats and his slow development I have to lay some blame at their feet. It shouldn't have been a decision in the hands of Hicks to start with. This is long overdue, IMO.

 

If you go back to why he became a switch hitter, it tells the story. His dad forced him to become a switch hitter to test him and see if he really liked baseball (his dad did not want him to play baseball). He didn't do it because he was naturally gifted from both sides of the plate. Thanks Dad.

[Dantes929]

It is surprising that a switch hitter would choose to hit right handed when all of the advantages are clearly with a left-handed hitter. The decision speaks volumes about the complete lack of confidence in his left handed swing. I'm not sure how you get to the big leagues with such a flaw in your game.

It was his natural side to start with. Its like being surprised a right handed hitter should have chosen batting left handed. He wasn't really a switch hitting talent.

[nathanaakre]

Does anyone know when Hicks STARTED switch hitting? He's getting destroyed for dropping the left side after working at switch hitting "since he was a young child". But, I feel like he didn't even start switch hitting until like high school? Can anyone verify this?

[golfboy1]

Does anyone know when Hicks STARTED switch hitting? He's getting destroyed for dropping the left side after working at switch hitting "since he was a young child". But, I feel like he didn't even start switch hitting until like high school? Can anyone verify this?

 

According to a BA article it was as a sophomore in high school.

[Siehbiscuit]

According to an article on the MN Twins site, Hicks started switchi-hitting at age 11.

[MileHighTwinsFan]

I have always thought that Hicks' challenges were about maturity. Does he have what it takes to act and play like a major leaguer.

 

The back story would be important to understand.

 

Is this a grown up move by Hicks to truly change his approach or is it a short sighted, knee jerk reaction to increasing criticism about his performance - mostly to appease his detractors.

 

If it is the former - then I am optimistic about his potential to grow from the change. If it is the latter - his days in Minnesota and in baseball are numbered.

 

I fear that the switch will only increase - not decrease the pressure on the young man. On the other hand the switch could simplify things for him - allowing him a singular focus on becoming a big league right handed hitter.

 

Only time will tell.

[tobi0040]

I have always thought that Hicks' challenges were about maturity. Does he have what it takes to act and play like a major leaguer.

 

The back story would be important to understand.

 

Is this a grown up move by Hicks to truly change his approach or is it a short sighted, knee jerk reaction to increasing criticism about his performance - mostly to appease his detractors.

 

If it is the former - then I am optimistic about his potential to grow from the change. If it is the latter - his days in Minnesota and in baseball are numbered.

 

I fear that the switch will only increase - not decrease the pressure on the young man. On the other hand the switch could simplify things for him - allowing him a singular focus on becoming a big league right handed hitter.

 

Only time will tell.

 

The Twins have botched this situation badly. Hicks has had lousy splits for six years in the minors and that would have been when to do this. I think it is still neccesary, just a shame he needs to do this at the MLB level because we wanted to put Bartlett on this team.

 

Thinking through a team in rebuilding mode, with one of the best farm systems, you have to wonder whether this coaching staff/front office is the right one for the point the Twins are in their life cycle. To think of Gardy and the front office helping Buxton, Sano, Meyer, May, etc. adjust up here is kind of scary.

[kblack1011]

The Twins really need to get a centerfielder so Hick can straigten his hitting in the minors. I'm not sold on him as a player, but they are going to ruin any chance he has of becoming a player. If they keep him up here, he may eventually figure out how to hit, but it's going to be with another team like Carlos Gomez.

[Beezer07]

I'm too lazy to look it up...but did Gomez "figure it out" in the majors or at AAA?

[kblack1011]

I'm too lazy to look it up...but did Gomez "figure it out" in the majors or at AAA?

 

In the major, but he went from a average player (excellent fielder) to an All Star. Hicks is a sub .200 hitter and not a very good outfielder, and trying to give up switch hitting.

 

The problem is that everyone got frustrated with Gomez, so giving up and shipping him out was easy. Hicks is going down the Joe Benson path and he may never figure it out like Benson, but if you believe in Hicks, he would be better off learning at AAA.

[Beezer07]

In the major, but he went from a average player (excellent fielder) to an All Star. Hicks is a sub .200 hitter and not a very good outfielder, and trying to give up switch hitting.

 

The problem is that everyone got frustrated with Gomez, so giving up and shipping him out was easy. Hicks is going down the Joe Benson path and he may never figure it out like Benson, but if you believe in Hicks, he would be better off learning at AAA.

 

Well I believe in Hicks, and I don't think he'd be better off learning at AAA.

[Dave T]

Hicks would benefit from batting right-against-righty in a development setting, i.e. AAA. On the other hand, Hicks has taken a positive step on his own initiative, which is a sign of maturity. It's an interesting situation. The fact that he got two hits yesterday against right-handers shows that he's on to something. What Hicks needs now is, a little less yelling and screaming. I don't think Scroggins did him any favors by pissing all over his decision to abandon batting lefty.

[tobi0040]

In the major, but he went from a average player (excellent fielder) to an All Star. Hicks is a sub .200 hitter and not a very good outfielder, and trying to give up switch hitting.

 

The problem is that everyone got frustrated with Gomez, so giving up and shipping him out was easy. Hicks is going down the Joe Benson path and he may never figure it out like Benson, but if you believe in Hicks, he would be better off learning at AAA.

 

Granted he came up much younger, but Gomez didn't really "figure it out" at the plate until year 5 or 6. His OPS bounced between .640-.670 for 4-5 years. Alex Pressley, who we discarded had a career OPS of .714 prior to this year and he is regarded as a 4th OF.

[Ozziedavisfan]

i think it make sence he he hits .286 as a rhb vs. 145 as a lhb. my only ? is why he didn't do it sooner, and i sort of know the answer to it.

[cmathewson]

Maybe I'm more optimistic than some because I abandoned switch hitting and I found it much easier. In particular, I had an easier time recognizing the breaking ball out of the hand of a right hander as a right handed hitter. I also took away the back-door breaking ball from right handers. That is one of Hick's weaknesses as a left-handed hitter.

 

He was always looking for that pitch middle in. If he didn't get it, he often struck out looking. So right handers stayed away from him and threw a lot of back-door breaking balls. He tended to give up on that pitch as a left handed hitter, and it would get called on him.

 

The one major leaguer who did this recently was successful at it. And he was older than Hicks. Are there examples of players who did worse after making this change?

[cmathewson]

i think it make sence he he hits .286 as a rhb vs. 145 as a lhb. my only ? is why he didn't do it sooner, and i sort of know the answer to it.

 

I think it was his father. Now he's his own man, he can make his own decisions.

[TheLeviathan]

Maybe I'm more optimistic than some because I abandoned switch hitting and I found it much easier.

 

Did you abandon it against the likes of Justin Verlander when you re-learned? With a constant spotlight on you and open confidence issues?

[cmathewson]

Did you abandon it against the likes of Justin Verlander when you re-learned? With a constant spotlight on you and open confidence issues?

 

No. But he can't do much worse than he's done against Verlander as a left-handed hitter. Against the Tigers, Hicks sports a .098/.196/.171 tripple slash with 20 Ks in 46 plate appearances. I believe 12 of those Ks have come against Verlander. When I think of his weakness against the back-door breaking ball, I remember all his Ks against Verlander, beginning with the very first one. They don't throw breaking balls like that in the minors.

 

Then again, Victorino led the lead in HBP last year. So Hicks better get some armor on.

[golfboy1]

In the major, but he went from a average player (excellent fielder) to an All Star. Hicks is a sub .200 hitter and not a very good outfielder, and trying to give up switch hitting.

 

The problem is that everyone got frustrated with Gomez, so giving up and shipping him out was easy. Hicks is going down the Joe Benson path and he may never figure it out like Benson, but if you believe in Hicks, he would be better off learning at AAA.

 

They also managed to acquire a very good SS in trade for Gomez. Right now, they would have trouble getting anyone of value for Hicks.

 

I really, really hope he turns into a productive ML player but right now he is far from that & his best chance to reach that level is in a minor league setting.

 

Is there any another team in the ML that Hicks would be a starting CF for right now? I can't imagine any team would prefer him as their starting CF vs. gaining experience in the minors.

[LaBombo]

Granted he came up much younger, but Gomez didn't really "figure it out" at the plate until year 5 or 6. His OPS bounced between .640-.670 for 4-5 years. Alex Pressley, who we discarded had a career OPS of .714 prior to this year and he is regarded as a 4th OF.

 

That's a good point about Presley, but if you're using Gomez as a comp for Hicks, there's one thing to be concerned about. Gomez would go through stretches where he would practically run into the stands to swing at a pitch outside the zone, but even so he never struggled anywhere near the way Hicks has with making solid contact. His ground ball rate was roughly 15% lower than Hicks' so far.

 

Hicks is already one of the most patient and passive hitters in MLB. Gomez was one of the most aggressive. If it's a choice between betting on the hacker learning patience in their latter 20's or the passive guy learning to drive the ball, my money is on the hacker more often than not.

 

Also, it remains to be seen whether Hicks can sustain his excellent walk rate with the switch to RHB, and with a below-average line drive rate and ISO of just .063.

 

That being said, with the switch to not switching sides, I'm more optimistic about Hicks now than at any point since the end of his excellent 2012 AA campaign.

[Dantes929]

Did you abandon it against the likes of Justin Verlander when you re-learned? With a constant spotlight on you and open confidence issues?

The rest of his quote " . In particular, I had an easier time recognizing the breaking ball out of the hand of a right hander as a right handed hitter. I also took away the back-door breaking ball from right handers. That is one of Hick's weaknesses as a left-handed hitter. " is valid regardless of level and pressures. I always though he looked particularly weak from the left side against curve balls breaking into him. Fact is he is 2 for 4 against right handers. How long did it take him to get his 1st two hits last year and how long before he got a multi hit game. Concentrating on one swing should only help him.