Astros' Conger credits 'discipline', coaching staff for offensive success
Hank Conger was primarily a backup catching option for the Los Angeles Angels early in his career, but he wasn't much of a hitter. This season, however, he's experiencing a bit of an offensive renaissance with the Houston Astros.
After going 2-3 against his former club in the Astros' win over the Angels on Tuesday night, Conger is hitting .235 with an OBP of .343 in 42 games - well above his career average OBP of .302. The Astros are noticing a bit of a change in his offensive approach, and it's an aspect of his game that Conger credits to the coaching staff.
As he told Jaylon Thompson of the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday to that effect, "Just from the beginning of the season to literally now, the transition is just working with Zinter and Hudgens on plate discipline. Whether it is taking borderline pitches or not, it’s really just seeing strikes is what has helped me out this year.”
That discipline has helped Conger draw 18 walks so far in 2015, after he collected only 22 in all of 2014.
Jason Castro is still the Astros' full-time catcher, but with Conger still being just 27 he has time to continue maturing as a major-league hitter. This new-found plate discipline is a good start.
