Michael Saunders and Results

Happy Friday everyone! Sorry it took so long to get this up this morning. But, it took a bit to gether all the data.

While everyone is getting excited about Saunders (myself included) and the way he has produced since he introduced his new stance (March 11th). I think it’s smart to break down and look not just at the results but also how he has gotten the results.

After the jump is a break down of every at bat he’s had starting March 11th. I’ll have more thoughts on it later. But here is just the break down.

Feel free to comment with some of your own thoughts.

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March 11th – Vs. Cleveland Indians (No Pitch F/X)

First At Bat – Pitcher:  RHP Mitch Talbot

With no Pitch F/x it’s hard to say how everything went so I’ll just give you the Pitch F/x information given.

Michael Saunders singles on a flyball to right fielder Shin-Soo Choo.

Result: Single

Second At Bat – Pitcher: RHP Jess Todd

Michael Saunders flies out to center fielder

Result: Fly Out

Third At Bat – Pitcher: RHP Jess Todd

Michael Saunders grounds out to first base.

Result: Ground Out

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March 13th – Vs. LA Angles (No Pitch F/X)

First At Bat – Pitcher: RHP Ervin Santana

Called three strikes on Saunders

Result: Strikeout

Second At Bat – Pitcher: RHP Ervin Santana

Michael Saunders triples on a live drive to right field

Result: Triple

Third At Bat – Pitcher: RHP Trevor Bell

Michael Saunders singles on a ground ball to center.

Result: Single

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March 16th – Vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Pitcher: RHP Pat Egan

Saunders in his lone at bat of the game saw three sinkers low and away, out of the strikezone. He took two of them for balls and then the third which was also outside he pulled to the first basemen (Jeremy Reed Reference!).

He seemed a little over anxious and maybe just wanted to get the bat on the ball. I think in a real game situation, bottom of the ninth with two outs, I hope he takes these pitches and works a walk.

Result: Ground Out

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March 17th – Vs. Kansas City Royals

First At Bat 2 inning- Pitcher: LHP Jeff Francis – Walk

Francis attempted to work Saunders away but off  behind in the count 2-1. Saunders takes the next two pitches inside for a walk.

Result: Walk

Second At Bat 5th inning  – Pitcher: LHP Jeff Francis

He took another two pitches away for balls. This is good. Then pulls a pitch middle in and pounds it into the ground to the  first basemen for an out.

Result: Ground Out

Third At Bat 8th inning – Pitcher: RHP Luis Mendoza

Mendoza starts off Saunders with a fastball in then follows it up with a change up away in the dirt. Mendoza’s third pitch is in on the hands and taken for a ball. He takes the next pitch, a fastball low and away, for a strike. Pitch #5 in the at bat he takes nearly the exact same place and pulls it to the first basemen.

Result: Ground Out (see a common trend?)

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March 19th – Vs Texas Rangers

First At Bat 3rd Inning- Pitcher: RHP Neftali Feliz

Feliz works him away with both pitches. First a fastball away followed by a sinker away. The second of which he lines to left field for a single.

Result: Single (opposite field!)

Second At Bat 5th Inning – Pitcher: Neftali Feliz

Feliz again puts things on the outter half of the plate through the at bat. Feliz starts of with back-to-back cutters on the outside corner. He misses as he tries a sweeping slider down and inside. Then Feliz misses on a back door slider running the count to 2-2. Then he leaves a 96-mph fastball up, which Saunders in turns grounds out to the first basemen.

Result: Ground Out

Third At Bat 8th Inning – Pitcher: RHP Daren O’Day

Day starts with a called strike on a sinker away and then follows it with a sinker high and on the inside portion of the plate. With the Count at 1-1 he back doors a slider for a called strike. Pitch 4 misses high and away on a sinker to move the count to 2-2 and then Saunders strikes out on a slider inside.

Result: Strike Out

Fourth At Bat 9th Inning – Pitcher: RHP Pedro Strop

Strop like everyone else starts out with a fastball away and then follows with a slider inside. His third pitch is a called strike on a fastball away. Saunders then takes a 2-1 slider left out of the middle of the plate to center field that drops in for a single.

Result: Single

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March 22nd – Vs Chicago White Sox

First At Bat 2nd Inning – Pitcher: RHP Edwin Jackson

Jackson pounded Saunders away in this match-up. Starting off with a fastball away. Then throws what I assume to some sort of waste pitch (curve in the dirt as he then proceeds to throw a curve away, change-up away and then strikes him out on another change-up away.

Result: Strike Out

Second At Bat 4th Inning – Pitcher: RHP Edwin Jackson

Jackson again works Saunders primarily away but Saunders is smarter in this at bat as he lays off the majority of the pitches away swinging-and-missing only at a hanging slider and then fouling off a 3-1 pitch that was high and away. Then leaves a high change-up alone for a walk.

Result: Walk

Third At Bat 5th Inning – Pitcher: RHP Edwin Jackson

Jackson I guess at this point figures if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. He throws nothing but away pitches. Missing away on a first-pitch changeup then follows it with a swinging strike on another change-up away. Then proceeds to throw three straight balls on a cruveball down and a way a fast ball down and away and a fastball high and away. Saunders works a walk.

Result: Walk

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March 23rd – Vs Colorado Rockies (No Pitch F/X)

Third At Bat 8th Inning – Pitcher: RHP Rafael Betancourt

Michael Saunders singles on a ground ball to center field.

Result: Single

March 24th – Vs Kansas City Royals 

First At Bat 3th Inning – Pitcher: LHP Bruce Chen

Chen throws a sinker right down the middle of the plate taken for a first pitch strike. Followed by a sinker away 1-1. Chen then leaves a pitch up and over the outter half of the plate for Saunders to stroke it into center field for a double.

Result: Double

Third At Bat 4th Inning – Pitcher: LHP Bruce Chen

Chen starts out working away with fastball called strike one. Then misses on a slider away 1-1. He then throws a fastball on the inside corner with is lined into right field at Melky Cabrera.

Result: Line Out

Third At Bat 7th Inning – Pitcher: RHP Robinson Tejeda

Tejeda is the first pitcher here to really go all over al though in the 7 pitches he throws four of them are the outter reaches of the plate.

Tejeda starts Saunders off with a change-up missing inside, ball one. Misses with a fastball, low and away, ball two. Tejeda has a change-up take too much of the plate and Saunders hits it foul, 2-1. Robinson then follows that up with a fastball inside which he gets Saunders swinging at moving the count to 2-2. Tejeda misses badly on a fastball high and then gets Saunders to put into play a change-up to left field for a fly out.

Result: Fly Out (Opposite field mention!)

Fourth At Bat 9th Inning – Pitcher: RHP Jeremy Jeffress

Jeffress starts off the at bat throwing back-to-bakc curve balls. One for a ball and the second (which according to Pitch FX was terribly outside) for a called strike.  He hits Saunders down the middle for a called strike two and then he throws a hanging curve ball that Saunders hits to right for home run.

Result: Home Run