Trumbo Showing Better Plate Approach

The L.A. Angels are mired in last place in the American League West and have the worst offensive attack this side of the Minnesota Twins. A big reason why is an overly jumpy lineup: The Angels rank dead last in the A.L. in walks, taking a free pass in just 6.7 percent of their plate appearances. Strangely enough, though, the Angels' lone offensive star so far is a reformed hacker who wasn't even supposed to be a full-time starter in 2012.

Though Mark Trumbo showed plenty of power as a rookie by belting 29 home runs, his lack of patience led to a walk rate of just 4.4 percent and a paltry .291 on-base percentage. That low OBP and the allure of adding one of the game's all-time great hitters led to Trumbo being displaced by Albert Pujols. But, while Pujols has seemingly lost his once-pristine plate approach, Trumbo has made ample progress in working the count.

In 2011, Trumbo hacked at lots of eye-high pitches. Check out his swing rate by pitch location last year, and then the league average:

Trumbo's swing rate by pitch location, 2011

Average swing rate by pitch location, 2011Trumbo chased 41 percent of pitches thrown out of the zone as a rookie, trailing just Vlad Guerrero, Alfonso Soriano, Miguel Olivo and Adam Jones among all qualified MLB hitters. This year, though? He's laying off those elevator pitches:

Trumbo's swing rate by pitch location, 2012

His chase rate has dipped to 31 percent this season, not far from the 28 percent league average. As a result, Trumbo's walk rate has shot up to 9.2 percent. That patience, combined with continued power production (six homers in 98 plate appearances) and some good fortune on balls put in play has led to a 185 OPS+ for Trumbo. The next highest mark on the Angels is Kendrys Morales' 120, and the club sports a collective 93 OPS+.

Trumbo's transition across the diamond to third base didn't take, so he doesn't really have a set position at this point (he has appeared at third, first, both outfield corners and DH). But if he keeps laying off the high stuff and hammering pitches, the Angels will make sure he gets everyday ABs.

Go Low, Not High on Trumbo

While no one will mistake a first baseman sporting  a .296 on-base percentage for a great hitter, the Angels' Mark Trumbo has managed to provide some value at the plate during his rookie season by bashing pitches into the gaps and over the fence. The 25-year-old has 24 home runs and is slugging .484. Combine that power with a pretty good glove, and you have a decent, if flawed starter.

Depending upon where pitchers locate their offerings, Trumbo is either an All-Star or a scrub with the bat. He's chasing -- and killing -- high pitches, while scuffling against stuff thrown at the knees.

The righty hitter is downright giddy against high pitches, extending his strike zone all the way up to his eyes at times:

 Trumbo's swing rate by location on high pitches 

League average swing rate by location on high pitchesTrumbo is chasing 46 percent of high pitches thrown out of the strike zone, which is 20 percentage points higher than the league average. But that hacking has largely paid off, as he's sending many of those pitches into orbit:

           Trumbo's in-play slugging percentage by location vs. high pitches                      

League average in-play slugging percentage by location vs. high pitchesHe's slugging .553 versus the high stuff, besting the league average by nearly 160 points. And his .387 Weighted On-Base Average vs. high pitches is 45 points better than average. Going above the letters against Trumbo is a bad idea.

Trumbo also extends the zone versus low pitches:

Trumbo's swing rate by location vs. low pitches

League average swing rate by location vs. low pitchesHis 35 percent chase rate vs. low stuff is seven percentage points above the league average. That's where the comparison between Trumbo's performance on high and low pitches ends, though. He has been helpless when opponents go low on him:

Trumbo's in-play slugging percentage by location vs. low pitches

League average in-play slugging percentage by location vs. low pitches

Trumbo's slugging just .318 versus low pitches, well below the .338 average. With a .254 wOBA versus low stuff, he's about 40 points below average and ranks in the same territory as Alcides Escobar and Lyle Overbay. Ouch.

Despite his hacking, trying to beat Trumbo high can backfire in a big way. Pitchers should pound the rookie at the knees until he proves that he can also do some damage on low stuff.