Jimmy Rollins : Feel the Power
Ok, maybe not 70+ HR pro-rated power but we could see him hitting 35+.
So why is he surging and will it continue? That’s the multi million dollar question. Well, Personally, I believe that the power surge that Jimmy’s experiencing is directly attributable to a more patient approach at the plate. In the spring, we noticed that Rollins had a completely different BB/K ratio at the plate. Here’s a quick recap of some of our predictions on March 13th, titled With Increased Patience comes Increased Slugging:
As we can plainly see, as Rollins has matured as a hitter, he has cut down on his strikeouts, increased his walk percentage, and in turn, has seen a sizeable gain in his slugging percentage. Plainly put, good things have happened when he’s exhibited increased plate patience. I see his high spring walk percentage as a positive signal.
So far, so good with Rollins plate approach. This season he ranks 4th in NL pitches seen per plate appearance, with an average of 4.46 per time at the dish. Coming into this season, his career rate was 3.60, and his 2006 rate was 3.70. In whole terms, an extra .76 pitches per plate appearance is a huge increase, over 20%.
His BB/K ratio follows that line as well. For his past career BB/K ratio’s, Rollins has improved his ratio each year, with 2006 ending with 57 BB and 80 K. So far in 2007 he has 8 BB & 9 K. Small sample? Probably, but his BB per PA in 2006 was 0.75. This year it’s .131 (8/61). All these numbers = one thing. A greater slugging percentage. If this continues, look for 35+ HR from Rollins in 2007.
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Tags: 2007 Season, fantasy baseball, Jimmy Rollins, philadelphia phillies, spring training
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