He is still getting on base and playing fine defense, but his slugging is down just under 200 points, at .373, and if anything the power outage points to the fact that perhaps Torres could fall off as well. Indeed, perhaps the hitting instructor theory does not hold as much clout as originally expected and Zobrist’s previous two seasons were a fluke.Either way, Zobrist will likely never come close to hitting 27 homers again. However, this replica Gucci YA111402 watch season aside, he probably has more power than he has shown and will improve going forward. And, he is still driving the ball more than was expected of him after being traded from the Houston Astros back in 2006.Another Cevallos protégé, Drew Sutton, has also struggled this season.
Sutton, recently claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians, has hit just .259/.365/.361 with only three home runs combined across two organizations in the majors in 323 plate appearances Since he himself had shown some improved pop in the minors in ’08 after working with Cevallos, many, including Rancel, felt that the Houston Astros were replica Gucci YA086314 Men's watch foolish to part with him and that he too could breakout. It has yet to happen. Nonetheless, Sutton is worth watching as he goes to Cleveland, and entering his age 28 season, could surprise some if given the chance to play everyday for the Indians coming out of spring training. With the Cevallos tie in, I know that I will definitely be following him closely.
I guess the overall point, though, is that some times factors that are impossible to account for—in this case hitting instructors, new hitting styles—can truly aid a player and improve their talent level. Granted, the sample size of hitting instructor examples is too small, three, to draw any major conclusions. But the cases of Torres and Zobrist show that it can happen in individual instances; each player is worth following extra closely as a result. At the replica Gucci YA107503 watch least, it is one more factor to consider when projecting future performances. And, if Sutton emerges in Cleveland, Torres continues to rake and Zobrist starts swatting long balls again soon, perhaps it is time for teams to start investing in these types of hitting instructor gurus.
