It seems that being clutch isn’t the only thing Robinson Cano was the worst at in the AL a season ago.
According to FanGraphs’ pitch type value data, in 2009, Cano was also the worst player in the American League with regards to hitting a cut fastball. He saw the cutter a little over 5% of the time and was 5.6 runs below average when squaring off against the pitch. One would assume that Cano’s cutter woes stem from right-handed pitchers who jam him inside – he swings at more pitches outside of the zone than any other Yankee – so as to limit his plate coverage and send him trudging ever-so-slowly back to the dugout (after popping up to an infielder, for example).
In 2010, in order to increase his offensive efficacy, hopefully he’ll figure out the best method for attacking the pitch. It could remain a significant weakness for him throughout his career, though, as Cano seems to go after a number of pitches on the outer portion of the plate – he is constantly geared up for those – which exposes him inside.
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
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5 Responses to Cano's cutter problem
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TIQ IQ
I’m calling sample size on this one.
5% of the pitches he received, sample size most definitely. The guy gets 200 hits in a season and is then told he gets caught waiting for pitches on the outer half, seems a tad harsh. Surely he needs to work on his mental state to stop breaking up rallies or stranding runners.
Definitely could be a sample size issue. I think, subjectively, from what I’ve seen during his at-bats that he does get beat by inside pitches a lot – maybe many of them are cutters – but, those thoughts are, again, subjective so I can’t really verify them.
Agreed with the two above. I’m not worried about Cano and obviously a lefty isn’t going to like facing cutters from right-handers. Why do you think Mo Rivera is so good against lefties?
Also, I’m not worried about Cano’s poor clutch hitting stats last year. Again, too small a sample size. iYankees neglected to post this hitting line: .300/.337/.440. That’s his career line in late & close situations (416 ABs).
I’m not buying the sample size argument. Cano has trouble pulling the ball at times. When he’s hot, he covers all four quadrants of the plate, but when he’s struggling, he gets beat inside. rarely is he ever beat on the outer half.
I think Long needs to work with him on sitting on pitches; that ability is what distinguishes the great players in the game. This will also increase Cano’s power numbers.