Miguel Montero had 11 homers and 42 RBIs all of last year. This year, he has 10 homers and 41 RBI’s. And it’s still June.
Why all the change? His two-strike swing is seemingly half as long as it was last year. Instead of using his famed home run hack at every pitch, Montero has learned to protect the plate when the count is not in his favor. Of course, as might be expected, Montero’s two-strike numbers even this year don’t compare to his numbers in hitter-friendly counts. In 2014, his batting average with two strikes is just .223 (27 for 121). However, when you compare that to an extremely dismal .138 (31 for 224) in 2013, it’s a significant improvement. Also his strikeout rate with two strikes is down from 49% in 2013 to 40% in 2014.
Montero’s 10 home runs set him on pace for a career high 21 homers in 2014. And although a recent struggle has lowered his batting average to .264, that is certainly respectable when compared to his career average of .267. He is third among MLB catchers in homers and first among MLB catchers in RBIs.
Welcome back, Miggy.
The Web Gem 