This article is from DRaysBay, and it has an Astros' connection, since it involves ex-Astros' minor leaguers, Ben Zobrist and Drew Sutton. Our fellow SBNers apparently were looking for explanations behind a spike in power by Ben Zobrist over the last year. Zobrist's isolated power tripled and his HR production went up five fold.
It turns out that Zobrist and Drew Sutton both went to the same hitting instructor ("swing mechanic" he calls himself), Jaime Cevallos, who runs a consulting business for swingers (OK, a lame attempt at humor). We all know that Sutton followed up with a big jump in slugging in AA. Zobrist, a former slap hitter, is now called "Zobrilla," according to the article. Cevallos claims that he can dramatically improve a hitter's power and consistency at the same time. He has prepared his own "index" to measure swings, and you can see in the article how he rates some of the best swings on his index (hint: the Babe is best). Zobrist apparently was reluctant to make changes, because he feared that it might contradict what his major league coaches wanted him to do. Cevallos developed a "training bat" (hey, you can order it off his web site), which promotes the proper hitting mechanics, and he believes his approach will change the way hitters train.
This is all pretty interesting. But I'm not completely buying that this guy is a miracle man for hitters. At least at this point. For one thing, the jury is still out on whether Zobrist's and Sutton's increase in power is more than an aberration. But, if both guys continue to produce as power hitters (Cevallos predicts that Zobrist will be a 30+ HR hitter, if he is full time), will we be calling for the Astros to send more hitters to this hitting instructor? The guy's claims are so expansive that I have some inherent sckepticism (kind of like when I read about the miraculous properties of some new herbal drug). But even if the improvement he brings is more moderate than his claims, the hitting instructor might be useful to under-performing professional hitters--who knows?.
If you were Drayton, would you open the check book and order a bunch of training bats for your hitters?
0 recs | 17 comments
Given that Wade invested a lot in Michael Bourn, I imagine that if his current .260 avg, .350 obp doesn’t hold up, then he’d probably be a good candidate to send to Cevallos, at least a as a sort of last-ditch effort. When your first major move is trading Brad Lidge for Michael Bourn, I imagine you’d want to do everything you can to make that move pay off.
Interesting thing about Cevallos is that he used to be a golf instructor. BA did a profile on Drew Sutton sudden improvement last year in which Cevallos featured prominently. The changes he made in his swing were largely about positioning his body during his swing, probably to make power transfer more efficient and to keep his bat in the zone for longer. He watched a lot of video of Ted Williams and Albert Pujols.
It’s not really a big surprise that Zobrist went to this guy, too. Sutton and Zobrist are both from Tennessee and were workout partners for three years during the offseasons.
If Cevallos is really a miracle-worker, and not just a salesman, I’d be surprised if some major league team doesn’t have him on an exclusive contract to work with their minor leaguers. He could very easily be telling these players long-accepted baseball hitting wisdom, but the guys weren’t listening or able to implement the advice when others told them about it. I’ve done some tutoring before, and it’s amazing how much attention people pay when they’re paying for your time.
AstroAndy - April 24, 2009
the article indicated that Cevallos offered his services to professional baseball teams...
at one time but was unsuccessful in getting them interested. Of course, if he has a few success stories, that could well change Cevallos talks about his sophisticated high tech efforts at analyzing the swing from multiple angles. I would hope that Sean Berry & Co. are already doing the same type of thing, in terms of computer/video assisted break downs of swings. He says he wants to produce the first .400 hitter (since the splendid splinter) in baseball. He will need to pick up a pupil who is very talented.
clack - April 24, 2009
Zoby and Sutton haven't paid me anything for my instruction.
I’ve asked them not to. I came to them with no credentials a year and a half ago. Only my promise. I only asked that they tell people the truth after the season. And I can assure you that what I teach has not been taught before.
Swing Mechanic - April 24, 2009
That's an impressive proposition
But it speaks to your confidence in the system. Their endorsements are even more meaningful now.
Stephen Higdon - April 24, 2009
Cevallos is pretty confident in his methods
as anybody would be if you thought you had the next big thing. In the case of Zobrist, I looked and looked for an answer and could not come up with anything until I found this. Before I say “yes, this is the reason 100%” I need see more case studies and learn more about the training (which I hope to do), but for now as I said in the article it is the best explantion yet and much better than “he’s swinging harder.”
t’s clear his swing is different from 2007 to current.
Tommy Rancel - April 24, 2009
it's a festivus miracle
does his program contain any essential vitamins*? I mean i’d like to double my SLG% without any additional strength training, and I don’t even play baseball.
AronV - April 24, 2009
yes I'd contact him - for major league and for minor league
Defintiely to help major league guys break out of slump and to improve their mechanics.
I don’t think Sean Berry & Co are doing the same thing
Joe in Birmingham - April 24, 2009
A little more about Cevallos
Here’s Drew Sutton talking about how he helped his swing: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=1765
It’s the hitters themselves that are making the claim, which obviously carries a lot more weight than if Cevallos were the one giving himself credit.
cymellet - April 24, 2009
thanks for the reminder that Ed Wade still has not idea what he's doing
Keppinger probably could have been had as a waiver claim…but that’s not how Wade does business.
He buys high and sells low, i’d love to see his stock portfolio.
AronV - April 24, 2009
I'd have Michael Bourn there
In a heart beat. Same with JR Towles, Bogusevic, Johnson, just about anyone I prized.
Stephen Higdon - April 24, 2009
agreed
though JR is tearing it up so far at Round Rock.
AronV - April 24, 2009
Bogusevic, in particular, strikes me as a good candidate.
The question mark for Bogey is if he can develop the power to become a premium centerfielder. He doesn’t have a heck of a lot experience batting yet—-which means that he is still developing his hitting habits.
clack - April 24, 2009
premium is asking a lot
I’d take .750 OPS at this point and call it a success. Even though it feels like Bourn is having a better year…he still is a terrible hitter and I honestly don’t see him improving that much at this point.
AronV - April 24, 2009
I'm thinking I'll end up working with individual hitters but I'm not opposed to working with teams. I'd like to hear the bloggers' thoughts on that.
Great article and great responses.
After the 2008 season, I took the time to call GMs to tell them what I can do for their hitters and what I have done with others (I worked with college guys too but can’t disclose their names publicly for NCAA reasons) I was only able to reach one GM, Dan O’dowd, from the Colorado Rockies and he told me (direct quote, I kept the email)
“Jamie
If you believe its something special then hang in there nothing great is ever easy to do.
Dan”
i thought that was nice but not what I was looking for :) When I saw an article written by Tommy Rancel (http://www.draysbay.com/2009/4/17/843197/lightning-strikes-ben-zobrist), I wanted to let Tommy know that there is a very cut and dry answer for Ben Zobrist’s increase in power and consistency. At the urging of a friend, Bob Macfadgen, I shot Tommy an email.
Ben and Drew have mentioned me many times to reporters but in reporting “last night’s game” writers like the simple “Rocco told him to swing harder” story better than getting into the whole “Swing Mechanic” mess. But of course, you know it’s not as simple as “swing harder.”
Please understand that I am not disclosing CIR because it would be silly for me to disclose it in a blog and not a book. I assure you, Tommy Rancel and his readers, along with the mkanx customers, will be the first to know about the book’s release.
I am confident in what I do but a salesman I am not. I wish I was better actually :)
I have discovered the key positions of the baseball swing as I set out to do in 1997 after my turnaround college season in which I got a glimpse of the magic that is possible in the smallest most precise of mechanical adjustment throught the swing. It has been my passion (verging on obsession) ever since. Very shortly, in my book, I will have a formula for you that players can use to measure their mechanics. It’s pretty cool because it’s a reverse of traditional statistical analysis – instead of crunching the numbers to see how a player DID, using the CIR, analysts will be able to predict more accurately how a player WILL DO.
But don’t take me at my word, let me show you. I welcome your doubt rather than want to fight it. Primarily because I was such an inquisitive hitter and was turned off by the “my way or the highway” instruction that never even seemed to get significant results. I keep getting better as an instructor by knowing I always have more to learn.
Thanks to all of you who have participated in this and other blogs on the subject. This is my chosen passion and I’m thrilled to share it.
Swing Mechanic - April 24, 2009
Wow
Thanks for all the kind words and the info. As someone who roots for anyone who can shake up conventional wisdom in all things baseball, I wish you the best of luck.
What you’re doing sounds innovative, and a small sample so far suggests effective.
Plus, anytime you’re using Berkman’s swing as an example, you’re going to have our hearts and minds.
Stephen Higdon - April 24, 2009
thanks for commenting.
hope your successful.
clack - April 24, 2009
Hotlanta
Jaime Cevallos (or “The Swing Mechanic”) has a training bat out that I’ve
seen with various teams in the Atlanta area. I guess it forces a player
into the “power and consistency” positions. Guess it’s getting some pretty
significant results from what I hear. Pretty interesting stuff. I definitely will be keeping a close eye out for this.
Regards,
MJD
MJD - April 28, 2009
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of The Crawfish Boxes to post a comment.