Regardless of result, O'Hearn's at-bats provide value
Ryan O'Hearn has been one of the Pirates' top bats this spring, hitting .360 with a 1.165 OPS over 12 games. Sure, it's only spring training, but that type of production is encouraging given the fact that O'Hearn enters the first year of a two-year, $29 million deal as an important offensive piece.
O'Hearn also understands that he's not always going to get the results he desires. This afternoon, for instance, he was hitless in two at-bats and managed to reach on a walk in the Pirates' 6-1 loss to the Rays here at Charlotte Sports Park. But he did continue a trend of having quality, hard-fought at-bats, fouling off two tough pitches before a strikeout in the first inning, drawing a five-pitch walk in the fourth and getting himself into a good hitter's count before grounding out in the sixth.
"I take a lot of pride in that, the quality of at-bats," O'Hearn told me. "When you go down 0-2, I like to find my way back to a full count and try to win it. I think that's just kind of the nature of who I am as a hitter, just making it tough on a pitcher. Sometimes you feel good up there, you get in a plus count and put the ball in play. Sometimes you foul a few off and you're grinding. Being able to waste pitches and, even if you make an out, drag out a five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10-pitch at-bat. I think there's value in that."
Don Kelly has noticed the way in which O'Hearn battles up there. He was particularly fond of one at-bat that resulted in a sixth-inning double against the Orioles on Saturday. O'Hearn fouled off three pitches, got the count to 3-2 and then did some damage on a fastball left at the top of the zone. It was another instance in which he put pressure on an opposing pitcher, exactly what you want to see out of a middle-of-the-order bat.
“You wanna make things difficult with pitches, and Ryan fouled off some balls yesterday that were really tough pitches to foul off," Kelly said. "To be able to get the double to left field, he’s had great at-bats, and that’s what we’re looking for from all the guys, to continue to grind that out. ... Just continuing to battle and fight in every at-bat, even with two strikes.”
THE ASYLUM
Regardless of result, O'Hearn's at-bats provide value
Ryan O'Hearn has been one of the Pirates' top bats this spring, hitting .360 with a 1.165 OPS over 12 games. Sure, it's only spring training, but that type of production is encouraging given the fact that O'Hearn enters the first year of a two-year, $29 million deal as an important offensive piece.
O'Hearn also understands that he's not always going to get the results he desires. This afternoon, for instance, he was hitless in two at-bats and managed to reach on a walk in the Pirates' 6-1 loss to the Rays here at Charlotte Sports Park. But he did continue a trend of having quality, hard-fought at-bats, fouling off two tough pitches before a strikeout in the first inning, drawing a five-pitch walk in the fourth and getting himself into a good hitter's count before grounding out in the sixth.
"I take a lot of pride in that, the quality of at-bats," O'Hearn told me. "When you go down 0-2, I like to find my way back to a full count and try to win it. I think that's just kind of the nature of who I am as a hitter, just making it tough on a pitcher. Sometimes you feel good up there, you get in a plus count and put the ball in play. Sometimes you foul a few off and you're grinding. Being able to waste pitches and, even if you make an out, drag out a five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10-pitch at-bat. I think there's value in that."
Don Kelly has noticed the way in which O'Hearn battles up there. He was particularly fond of one at-bat that resulted in a sixth-inning double against the Orioles on Saturday. O'Hearn fouled off three pitches, got the count to 3-2 and then did some damage on a fastball left at the top of the zone. It was another instance in which he put pressure on an opposing pitcher, exactly what you want to see out of a middle-of-the-order bat.
“You wanna make things difficult with pitches, and Ryan fouled off some balls yesterday that were really tough pitches to foul off," Kelly said. "To be able to get the double to left field, he’s had great at-bats, and that’s what we’re looking for from all the guys, to continue to grind that out. ... Just continuing to battle and fight in every at-bat, even with two strikes.”
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