Over the past two seasons, Buster Posey’s power numbers have declined. Both his home run totals — 22 in 2014, 19 in 2015, 14 in 2016 — and slugging percentage — .490 in 2014, .470 in 2015, .434 in 2016 — have all decreased steadily since 2014, and Posey hasn’t exactly crushed the ball to start the 2017 season, on pace for just 14 jacks.
Longtime Giants beat writer Henry Schulman was asked about what has happened to the player who hit 24 bombs and posted a .549 slugging percentage in 2012 when he joined Gary and Larry on Wednesday. He has a number of theories, but admitted he can’t quite put his finger on it.
“I’d like to say that there’s something like an injury. Now he’s had hand issues over the years and that might have some effect, but if he was having trouble with his hands, you wouldn’t think he’d be hitting .350 either,” Schulman said. “It really is hard to explain with him. We had a talk with him in spring training about this because the power disappeared at the end of last year too, and he really does believe it’s a mechanical thing in his swing where, if he’s just the slightest bit off, then he doesn’t elevate the ball. He just hits it on the ground. We’ve seen a lot of ground balls from Buster, and when he does get hits a lot of them are ground balls up the middle. He doesn’t even pull a lot of singles to left field. So I have to take him at his word that he’s not injured, and I asked Bochy that the other night.
“You know is there something about Buster, is there some physical reason that he’s not hitting for power and there’s also the possibility that he might be a little tired after going in the WBC (World Baseball Classic). That’s a little hard to believe because that was only two and a half weeks in March. So, I really wish I could give you an answer for that. You know I really wish I could tell you that all of the sudden he’s going to find it and click and we’re going to start seeing a lot of extra base hits. But I just don’t know when that’s going to come.”
What about the argument that Posey playing catcher instead of first base is negatively affecting his power?
“I cannot end that theory because traditionally his numbers are better when he does play first base, I don’t think that’s true this year, but traditionally if you looked it up his numbers are better when he plays first base,” Schulman said. “This argument has been asked and answered, as they say in court, 100 times. I don’t really see anything there changing unless he really does get to the point where he’s afraid that a couple more knocks to the head on foul tips, and he’s not going to be able to speak the language anymore.”
Listen to the full interview below.
