Have a night, David Bote.
Although he hadn’t been brutal since his last big game – remember that two-homer night in Arizona? – Bote was definitely doing some adjusting to the adjusting to the adjusting after a really nice stretch to open the year where he seemed to have closed off his biggest hole (velocity up). Big league teams scout and deploy so quickly and so well that it’s really a constant process of checking yourself, staying in rhythm, and not letting the inevitable lows get you too low.
So it was for Bote last night, who doubled, and also hit these two homers:
The night pushed Bote’s line from .264/.351/.419 with a 105 wRC+ to .278/.362/.481 with a 122 wRC+ (and solid peripherals all around). Quite a night. And Bote’s been blazing hot for a week now, hitting .526/.591/.947 (298).
About those adjustments? Well, there were a couple modest tweaks to his pre-pitch plan, and they coincide with this hot streak. Brendan Miller is great at this stuff, so make sure you give him a follow:
thread David Bote's recent adjustment
Bote made a recent change to his front side pre-pitch. Through mid-May, his front heel was elevated and he had more pre-pitch movement.
Here's an example from from May 7th. pic.twitter.com/3ThLgUBkFp
— Brendan Miller (@CubsRelated) May 29, 2019
But now his front foot is nailed to the ground and he's much quieter. His lower half isn't as engaged until he begins his stride.
Here's him from May 26th. Look at the front foot. pic.twitter.com/IYLuTvdiMY
— Brendan Miller (@CubsRelated) May 29, 2019
If Ben Zobrist figures to be out for a lot longer (or all season), and if Daniel Descalso isn’t going to start hitting much better, then the Cubs may need Bote to play all the more at both second base, periodically, and third base (with Kris Bryant in the outfield). It’s a good time for him to heat up.