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Brady Home is a high-ceiling slugger knocking on the door of the large leagues. Drafted eleventh total by the Washington Nationals in 2021 out of Winder-Barrow Excessive Faculty in Winder, Georgia, the 22-year-old third baseman is slashing .299/.352/.521 with a 128 wRC+ over 256 plate appearances with the Triple-A Rochester Purple Wings. Befitting his sturdy 6-foot-4 body and plus energy from the proper aspect, Home has hammered 14 doubles and 12 residence runs.
His strategy may finest be described as old-fashioned. Requested about his M.O. on the plate, the promising teen informed me his main purpose is just to hit the ball laborious and get on base. And he undoubtedly hits the ball laborious. His max exit velocity this season is 112.4 mph, which ranks within the ninetieth percentile on the Triple-A stage. As for his skill to go away the yard, Home doesn’t hunt for homers a lot as he buys into the method.
“I hit probably the most residence runs after I go up there not attempting to hit a house run,” he stated. “If I’m going up there simply attempting to get a base hit, it simply finally ends up by chance taking place.”
It’s not by chance that Home hits residence runs in all instructions. He known as utilizing all the discipline an vital a part of his strategy, and the info again up the phrases. His spray chart reveals three homers ripped to proper, 4 blasted to middle, and 5 launched to left. His total pull charge is definitely a career-high 49.4%, however that’s not essentially by design. Whereas an adjustment is a part of the equation, how he’s being attacked is taking part in an even bigger function in his pulling extra pitches.
“I’m attempting to be extra on time with the fastball, catching the ball out in entrance of the plate quite than letting it get in on me,” Home stated. “That approach I’ve some room to work with. I imply, I’m simply attempting to hit it wherever it’s pitched. I really feel like I’ve been getting pitched in lots this 12 months.”
What Home stated about having “room to work with” piqued my curiosity. Most frequently, hitters say letting the ball journey permits them extra alternative to acknowledge pitches and react accordingly.
“I’ve heard lots of people say that,” Home replied. “However up to now, I’ve sort of let the fastball get deep, so despite the fact that I’m hitting it laborious, I’m getting caught up in my fingers being again as a substitute of getting prolonged. For me, it’s extra about being on time. I’d quite be on time for a fastball and early for an offspeed. After all, changes are made each recreation, so I assume it simply relies on how I’m feeling.”
The slugger sounded glad when addressing the proportion of choices he’s propelling into the air, though at 47.9%, his groundball charge isn’t precisely splendid for somebody together with his instrument field. As for specializing in batted-ball metrics to unlock extra of his energy potential, that isn’t how his thoughts works.
“I can inform if it’s hit laborious, if that is sensible,” Home stated. “I’m probably not into the numbers. Issues like launch angle… that’s somewhat over my head. I do like video, however exterior of that, I prefer to maintain issues easy.”
Eric Longenhagen’s evaluation of Home, which is influenced by Statcast metrics, is basically bullish. On the similar time, our lead prospect analyst isn’t with out considerations.
“The information is in settlement on each the whiffs — soundly below-average contact, barely below-average plate self-discipline — and the ability,” Longenhagen informed me. “Home’s hard-hit charge has been comfortably plus, particularly for his age. He has plus energy and destroys errors, (however) I’m a bit bearish relative to his xSLG and xwOBA as a result of I believe massive league pitchers will do a greater job attacking his weaknesses.”
Longenhagen sees the shortstop-turned-third-baseman’s glove as a power. In his view, Home is “one hell of a defender,” gifted with plus vary, footwork, and arm power.
Leaping again to the bat, chopping down on his strikeout charge (at present 25.8%) is amongst Home’s targets. He feels a latest mechanical tweak is a step in the proper route.
“I’ve lowered my fingers,” Home stated. “Unknowingly, that they had gone up. That was in spring coaching. I imply, I assume I knew I had them up greater, however I didn’t assume it was an issue till I noticed it was an issue. I used to be struggling somewhat bit final month.” From Could 18-24, Home went 4-for-23 (.174) with no residence runs and 9 strikeouts; since then, he’s 20-for-51 (.392) with 4 homers and 11 strikeouts. “Decreasing them,” he stated, “has helped me be somewhat extra direct to the ball.”
After which there are his 7.4% stroll charge and 32.5% chase charge. Requested what he most must work on, Home kind of echoed Eric’s considerations. A predisposition to overaggressiveness is a hurdle he’ll have to beat if he hopes to flourish at baseball’s highest stage.
“I don’t assume I’m dangerous at it, however it will be my plate self-discipline,” Home stated. “I’m a hitter that swings lots. I prefer to swing, and generally that may damage me if I’m not controlling the zone. It’s laborious for me to go up there and need to take pitches, as a result of I’d quite hit the ball than take. It’s a troublesome behavior to interrupt, however I’m engaged on it.”
Nationals followers are clamoring for Home to be known as as much as the large leagues, and there’s a good likelihood they’ll get their want sooner quite than later. As soon as it occurs, there will likely be lots for him to show — that comes with the territory once you’re a extremely touted former first-round decide. Can Home be a constructing block in Washington? The inspiration is there, however tough edges stay.
