Carp Inside and Out

Mike Carp found his power stroke in the majors in 2011, slugging .500 through 206 plate appearances this season.  Pitchers have worked the young slugger away:

Mike Carp, pitch frequency, 2011.While most of his power comes inside, he's slugged across the strike zone:

Mike Carp, in play slugging percentage, 2011.Pitching Carp away hasn't worked that well, since Mike is willing to drive outside pitches the other way.  When the pitch is inside, he pulls the ball for home runs:

Mike Carp, pitch frequency on home runs, 2011.When he goes the other way, he tends to hit doubles:

Mike Carp, pitch frequency on doubles, 2011.Instead of trying to pull everything, Carp is willing to go with a pitch.  He strong enough to be able to drive the ball the other way.  He's not getting the lift to hit them out that often, but doubles can do a lot of damage, scoring runners from first base and putting the batter in scoring position.  He's supplying the Mariners with needed power.