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The San Francisco Giants Want 2020 Austin Slater To Re-Emerge

Austin Slater of the San Francisco Giants celebrates after a solo home run against Arizona … [+] Diamondbacks in the third inning during a baseball game in Phoenix on Sunday, July 4, 2021. (AP Photo / Rick Scuteri)

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Last season, San Francisco Giants outfielder Austin Slater posted career numbers in a season shortened by COVID-19. The biggest step forward for Slater in 2020 was his ability to master right-handed pitching.

This season, Slater was still effective against left-handed pitching, but he couldn’t get back into 2020 shape against right-handed pitching, which has put him in a pulling role. With the addition of Kris Bryant, the imminent return of Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria, and steady play from Darin Ruf and Steven Duggar, Slater’s playtime could be at risk if he can’t be more productive against right-handed pitching.

He’s also in a similar position with fellow outfielder Alex Dickerson. Both players can find themselves as odd players when the team is completely healthy again. You also have a minor league option left. The big difference is that Slater’s youth and remaining years of team control could mean he could be one of the first players to be sent to the ground when the squad crisis begins.

One big resemblance between Dickerson and Slater is that both of them have struggled to hit right-handed pitches this season, which puts the Giants in a bind. Dickerson has surprisingly released reverse splits against left-handed pitching this season, which could suggest he might break out of his funk at some point. On the flip side, Slater has been largely ineffective against right-handed pitching in his career with the exception of 2020.

Austin Slater had a breakout season in 2020 before injuries slowed his pace. He’s also made himself popular with fans by changing his body, swing, and approach to get the most out of his innate racket-to-ball skills. He produced a 106 WRC + against RHP in 2020 and only released a 50 WRC + against RHP this season. Unfortunately, he couldn’t reproduce the numbers he put up against right-handed pitching in 2020, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort.

One of the main differences between Austin Slater’s line-up and the subsequent move from the 2020 season to the 2021 season is that he’s gradually brought his line-up closer to last season’s. In 2020, he was always a bit more open in his setup, which should help the batsman to better track the ball and allow the batsman to get into a better position to hit by pitchers with the same hand within pitches.

However, when he started struggling this season it was evident that he felt that it might help him get closer. When a batsman returns to a more balanced stance, it is usually to reduce eye movement or give him fewer moving parts to help him find better timing. Unfortunately, none of these things seem to be working for Slater this season.

Another notable difference from Slater’s swing this season is that his hand positioning is slightly higher and the inclination that goes into his swing is much less pronounced than it was in 2020. This seems to be having a negative impact on his swing and the numbers support this . His GB% is up 13.9% this season, his average tee angle is 4.6 degrees lower, and he’s struggling to drum the ball as often as last season.

Because Slater’s barrel tilt was less pronounced on the swing, he created a flatter, transverse club path that corresponds to a flatter swing that creates less loft. This also has a negative effect on the amount of the barrel and the length of time the barrel remains in the hit zone. Getting your club a little more vertical before initiating his swing can be key to unlocking the Austin Slater 2020.

Much like the addition of Kris Bryant and the return of Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt, Austin Slater’s 2020 resurgence could be a huge addition to the San Francisco Giants lineup on the home stretch. The Giants are still one of the best offensives in baseball, but in the final months of the season they are still a bat away from being the most comprehensive offensive in baseball.

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