What's Hinch's opinion on Yuli?
Here you go...
The numbers behind Gurriel’s season are curious and also help to explain the Astros’ optimism about him moving forward. According to FanGraphs, he’s hitting more balls on a line or in the air than his previous three seasons and making a higher percentage of hard contact. He’s also chasing fewer pitches out of the zone compared to last year. Yet his production in his age-35 season has diminished.
“I think the numbers are a little bit misleading to the dangerous hitter that he is,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “He hits the ball as hard as anybody. When he stays with a plan, he can be consistent. I get asked a lot of questions about his on-base or his perceived lack of power. I’m hitting him in the middle of the order. But he can do a lot of different things in one at-bat. Pitch selection’s always key for him. I think he’s always tweaking his swing a little bit mechanically. There’s a lot going on with his bat wrap and his balance. But every time he gets up to bat, he has as good of a chance to hit the ball 100 miles an hour or harder (as anybody and he’s got a good a chance to hit the ball in the gap.”
The article goes on to question whether it's wise to continue placing him as a middle of the order hitter. The author suggested Yuli is better in the lineup as a #7 or at most a #6 hitter, with a strong suggestion that placing him in front of Chirinos (#8) and Reddick (#9) once everyone returns is the smart play. Hinch might not see it that way, but we shall see.
We've already discussed the lineup with Alvarez hitting as a DH, and it looks by all indications that Yuli will become a #7 hitter when all is said and done.
