Can we get a video/GIF up in here?
And post it endlessly when anyone talks about power hitters being unable to learn such a skill to get shifted less often?
Posted Aug 1, 2021, 12:46 AM UTC
[deleted]
Absolutely beautiful, minus the injury of course.
Good news is that the injury apparently isn't serious so we can all get back to enjoying a beautiful bunt
That’s not good.
That whole inning took years off my life.
Red Sox are 0 for our last 10 with the bases loaded including a NOBLETIGER this is taking years off our livers
Every game that involves the red Sox and/or the Yankees takes years off of everybody's lives
I mean he also destroyed Jeffrey Springs’ knees
This guy is my 2nd favourite AL player to watch (behind Vladdy, check my flair). From plays like this, his facial expressions, how much he talks to himself at the plate and his power, he is just fun as hell to watch.
behind Vladdy, check my flair
Didn't need to, favourite was a dead giveaway.
I saw him as an 18 year old in Low-A and I've never been more convinced in someone at that level. Even then he seemed like someone who loved the game and had a feel for mastering it.
Gee look, imagine if they just did this everytime there was a heavy shift lmao
I feel like a broken record. I've been saying this for years now. Angry about the shift? Bunt against the shift.
it's not really viable to always bunt vs the shift.
Raffy bunting 5 times a game would be an absolute win for the other team..
I just mean in genreal
If he gets good enough at bunting where he gets on base 3+ times a game off of it makes it that much more unlikely for other teams to shift. Sure getting solo homers or doubles is nice, but a free base is a free base. The only argument against it here is 3 true outcomes.
[deleted]
Would bunting more actually get him to be shifted less often?
He’s not gonna bat 1.000/1.000/1.000 on bunts
I’m sure the Rays are quite happy that they forced Devers to bunt
Looks at Jeffrey Springs rolling around in pain on the field
No… no we are not.
Well, other than that
You mean Jeffrey Springs
Shhhhhhh
Shifting is supposed to get outs you wouldn't normally get without shifting. By bunting, you are getting on base. Teams aren't just gonna let a guy get on base all the time. Their goal is to get you out.
I don’t know. I think if you can force a teams best (or one of their best) hitters to attempt to bunt, you’re probably happy with the outcome.
If they were happy about letting you get on base, they could just intentionally walk you. Don't even risk giving up a homer or extra base hit. There's a reason the Astros didn't IBB anyone in 2019. They want to get you out. If you can get on base via bunt more often than you can get on base without it, you might want to bunt.
I think you’re underestimating how hard is to bunt.
An intentional walk is a guaranteed base. Forcing a team’s best hitter to bunt is not a guaranteed base. Actually I would say it’s a pretty good chance it’s a ground ball to the pitcher for an out.
Either way, the chance of it being an out is well above zero, the chance of an intentional walk being an out is literally zero. Not at all the same.
If you can force a teams best hitter to literally hold his bat still out of over the plate and hope to dribble the ball down a line, you would probably do it more often than not
He’s not gonna go 1.000/1.000/1.000 bunting.
Bunting against the shift, believe it or not, isn’t a guaranteed single
You don't have to go 1.000/1.000/1.000 bunting. Devers's best OBP season is .361. If he's successful 40% of the time, that's a .400 OBP, which is elite and better than his best. I don't know his OBP against the shift, but I'd bet it's lower than his OBP is without the shift. If his OBP against the shift is higher, they're gonna stop shifting him.
OBP is great but it’s only 1 piece of the puzzle. Devers is a slugger, he hits a ton of extra base hits. Yes bunting may give a high chance of getting on base but it’s guaranteed to only be a single and won’t be driving in runs. I think bunting against the shift is a great tool to have in your tool belt but doing it every time you are shifted on puts a ceiling on your production, a ceiling that a guy like Devers consistently breaks when he hits normally.
You’re intentionally missing the point. I very seriously doubt that Devers will even be 40% successful bunting.
There just isn’t a lot of point to it to me. I doubt he can reach even a .350 OBP just bunting if he did it every time. And if he did, a .350/.350/.350 line is like ok at best. No power, if he messes up twice he’s in a huge hole. I’d bet it’s better in the long term to take your chances hitting it over their heads
Sure but it gives a lot of leverage back to the hitter if he can place a bunt where he needs to and make them second guess that shift
I don’t get how people so resistant to bunting against the shift got it in their heads that an entire side of a field can be abandoned, but still that’s not good enough hit to. Like, who’s going to throw him out at first, the left fielder?
He doesn't need to bat with a 2.000 OPS for the bunts to be enough to lessen the shift.
If he got anywhere near that, the Rays especially are smarter than to let it keep going.
Funny thing, if no one else is one and that doesn’t hit the bag he may have had a chance at a double on that too. A bunt into the outfield grass against the shift could result in doubles fairly often.
Destroyed the pitcher’s knee too
RIP Jeffrey Springs mcl
all the cruciate ligaments