Analyzing Starlin Castro’s Plate Approach in 2012: Is He Trying to Pull Too Much?

Yesterday, I couldn’t help but think that, when Starlin Castro rolled over an outside pitch and pulled a dribbler weakly to shortstop, I’d seen him do that a lot this year.

That kind of out is usually the product of a batter not closing off his body to a pitch on the outer half, instead remaining open, reaching with the hands, and trying to pull the ball. In variably, he can’t get there with authority (it’s all wrists at that point), his wrists roll over, and it’s a weak ground ball. If, on the other hand, the batter lunges toward the outer half, closes his body off, and meets the ball more in the middle of his swing, he’s more likely to line the ball with authority – but it’ll be toward right field, rather than left. You sacrifice power in this approach, but you hit more line drives on those outside pitches.

So, other than anecdotes like what I saw yesterday, how can we determine whether Castro is making a conscious effort to try and pull the ball more this year? Well, I can think of two ways. First, let’s just look at his plate approach. Compare how he looked at this time in April 2011 (as the pitcher delivers):

With how he looks now:

Two things jump out at me about his lower half (BN’er Chris points out the change in hand position, which is notable, but harder to judge given the possible incremental difference in the timing of the pitchers). First, Castro’s stance is much more open now than it was early in the year in 2011 (it’s fair to note that it became more and more open as the year went on). This year, he actually looks quite a bit like Derrek Lee looked in his days with the Cubs. Castro’s left foot is so far open that almost touches the far edge of the batter’s box. This kind of open stance allows a batter to stay open fractionally longer, so that if he gets a pitch on the inner half, he doesn’t have to work quite as hard to turn on it, and connect with the barrel of the bat on pitches closer to where his body is rotating. This, theoretically, allows him to hit for more power.

The second thing that jumps out at me in the picture is Castro’s bent right knee. I’m not a professional swing analyst, so I welcome input, but, to me, that looks like a guy who has redistributed his weight slightly to his back leg. Once again, more weight on the back leg, which shifts forward as the swing is delivered, will generate more power.

So, from a quick look at Castro’s plate approach, he has the look of a guy who’s trying to hit for more power. He’s now the number three batter, charged with driving in runs, so you can understand the tweak. But, is it possible, in an effort to generate that power, Castro is making a conscious effort to pull the ball more? That is to say, it’s one thing to focus on generating more power, and a separate – but related – thing to focus on pulling the ball more. We can see that Castro is probably trying to generate more power with his stance and approach, but is he also actively pulling the ball more?

It’s early in the year, and there isn’t much data yet. But, so far, the answer appears to be yes.

According to FanGraphs, I count 37 hits to right field for Castro last year. He had a total of 207 hits in 2011, so about 17.9% of his hits went to right field.

This year, I count just two hits to right field for Castro, compared to 28 total hits (7.1%). Again, it’s early in the year, and that’s a small sample, but it’s a pretty marked shift down. Further, Castro’s spray chart this year certainly has the look of a guy who isn’t frequently going to right field with authority:

Only seven of 40ish balls he’s hit at Wrigley Field this year went to right field (three to five are on the CF/RF border). I see a lot of groundouts to the left side, and a lot of liners up the middle. I like the latter, but the former tends to add weight to my theory that he’s rolling over a lot of outside stuff.

So, based on the little data we yet have, combined with a review of his approach this year, I’d say it’s safe to conclude that Castro is trying to generate more power this year, in part by actively looking to pull the ball more.

Now, none of this is necessarily a criticism of Castro’s approach (indeed, when he *has* gone to right field this year, he’s added quite a few outs on fly balls, so maybe he’s doing the right thing). Most hitters, as they mature and their power develops, start to pull the ball more. Castro’s numbers on the year aren’t bad, so it’s not as though he’s killing himself with this approach. Then again, he has yet to hit a homer (and his IsoP is actually lower than it was last year – i.e., he’s hitting for less power overall this year so far), and I can’t help but wonder how many of those weak dribblers to short actually could have been sharp line drives to the right side of the field.

Ultimately, I have no beef with Castro’s change in approach if it yields newfound power. We haven’t seen it yet, but I suspect it’s coming. And, until then, if he wants to start driving some of that outside stuff to right field, I’d be find with that, too. Is he pulling the ball “too much”? He’s pulling the ball “a lot,” but evaluative terms like “too much” will probably have to wait for at least a full year’s worth of data.

written by

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

more cubs news

Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

*SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

Latest News

Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

Bulls vs. Nets Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Chicago Bulls (35-38) hit the court against the Brooklyn Nets (28-45) as 5.5-point favorites on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup has an over/under set at 214.5 points.Before you place an informed wager...

Suns vs. Thunder Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The matchup begins at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The point total is set...

Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Minnesota Timberwolves (50-22) are 6.5-point underdogs when they host the Denver Nuggets (51-22) in a battle between the top two teams in the Western at Ball Arena on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 9:00 PM ET on ALT. The...

Knicks vs. Spurs Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The New York Knicks (44-28) will try to continue a three-game win streak when they visit the San Antonio Spurs (17-56) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at AT&T Center as big, 10-point favorites. The game airs at 8:00 PM ET...

Kings vs. Mavericks Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Dallas Mavericks (43-29) will look to Luka Doncic (first in the league scoring 33.9 points per game) when they try to beat De'Aaron Fox (eighth in the NBA with 26.5 PPG) and the Sacramento Kings (42-30) on Friday, March...

How to Watch Diamondbacks vs. Rockies: Live Stream or on TV

On Friday, Corbin Carroll and the Arizona Diamondbacks (1-0) take on Nolan Jones and the Colorado Rockies (0-1), with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at Chase Field.If you're trying to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and...

Guardians vs. Athletics: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Cleveland Guardians (1-0), led by Jose Ramirez, visit Brent Rooker and the Oakland Athletics (0-1) on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.Find out how to watch the Cleveland-Oakland matchup below.When is Guardians vs. Athletics and when does...

more cubs news