Fighting shifts Thomas has been working on his swing to achieve better results against defensive shifts, Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic reports. Impact The lefty-swinging Thomas made a bang early after getting his first taste of the majors three-and-a-half weeks ago. He had a .326 average and .992 OPS over his first 13 games. In the nine contests since, as he's faced an increasing number of shifts, Thomas is batting .129 with a .390 OPS. The solution of hitting to the opposite field -- pushing the hands out over the plate and forcing the ball in that direction -- sounds simple, but it can lead to dropping the barrel, swings-and-misses or lazy pop-ups, per Diamondbacks hitting coach Joe Mather. He preaches backing the ball up in the swing. "That allows you to have a flatter path," Mather said. "If we can catch it deep in our swing, we're gonna be able to drive it." Training to back up the swing requires a transitional period, which Thomas is undergoing now.
JUNE 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
