I’m not a professional hitting coach. I just play one in my

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"In the grand American tradition of doing things you are unqualified to do , I have a piece of advice for Indians’ hitters. I’m not a hitting coach, as you likely know, but here is my profound, thought-out advice: Don’t swing.Hitting off an MLB pitcher is certainly one of the (if not the singular) most difficult feats in all of sports. I mean, dudes are out there in spring training getting nutmegged on the third strike. In that context, not swinging seems the safest bet. However, I also base my advice on two things that came across my Twitter feed this week.The first piece that helped me create this brilliant piece of coaching was insightful work by Gage Will at Everybody Hates Cleveland. In his article, Will detailed how the Indians have emphasized those Moneyball-era A’s skills, on-base percentage and walk rate, in their acquisitions this season. His bold prediction:Of course, this prediction is not just a casually thrown out number. Sure, his number is ~150 walks higher than the Indians drew last year and 50 higher than the league-leading Dodgers, but it’s not crazy. Will breaks down the careers of the new (and old but new again) Indians and bases this conclusion on track records — not unlike from the projection systems we love to study this time of year (and the Cubs love to hate).Another thing that supports Will’s conclusion is, conveniently , the second article that piqued my interest, this from Mike Petriello of MLB.com. In identifying trends to watch in 2019, Petriello is confident that fewer pitches will be in the zone this season and, perhaps as a result, wild pitches and passed balls will continue to be a big part of the game.In his research, Petriello found that the number of balls out of the strikezone as well as the number of passed balls and wild pitches were at all-time highs in 2018. As the game is played today, he sees no reason to expect that trend to change, either.Of course, with the demands on catchers being extreme when balls were being thrown in the strikezone, that leads to more chaos behind the plate.Thus, it’s not crazy to expect walks to rise this season, especially for a team with proven patience, like the Indians. These are, after all , professional hitters, and they possess an ability to see the ball and make a decision about swinging in milliseconds in a way neither you nor I could possibly do. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need advice, coach is just another word for advisor, after all.Which brings me back to my (unwarranted, ill-advised, uncalled for) advice: Don’t swing. If the numbers say the ball is not going to be over the plate, just let it go. Let the walks pile up by the dozens and don’t be the guy falling out of his shoes in @PitchingNinja tweets. Not swinging is certainly not the best advice when it comes to pace of play, and maybe putting forward such a suggestion highlights why no team has asked me to come tutor their players. But expecting the Indians not to swing, or at least not swing as often, could be good wisdom for fans. Patience has been the theme of this offseason: Wait and see what the front office does; wait and see if these young guys can compete in the big leagues; wait and see if the AL Central is abysmal again. When games finally start to mean something again, we may have to wait and see how a rally develops, one ball at a time. JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — For a franchise that has been a perennial loser, Victor Victor Mesa sounds like a winner.The Miami Marlins can’t be sure , however, because they they’ve never seen Mesa play. They agreed to a $5.25 million signing bonus last October with the highly touted Cuban defector and can begin to assess the investment Saturday when their spring training season starts.It has been more than two years since Mesa’s most recent game. The Marlins based their evaluation of him on videotape of his play in Cuba.“That was the only opportunity we had, and every other major league team had,” said Gary Denbo, vice president of player development and scouting. “But I have a lot of confidence what we’re going to see is going to be exciting.”Mesa, 22, left Cuba nearly a year ago to pursue a major league career and was considered the top international free agent last fall. Miami signed him and his 17-year-old brother, Victor Jr., after both tried out at Marlins Park for scouts from all 30 major league teams.The session stoked the Marlins’ enthusiasm for the elder Mesa.“He took a batting practice that would rival any of our major league players, hitting head-high line drives all around the field,” Denbo said Thursday.The Marlins don’t necessarily expect Mesa to do that in spring training, at least not right away. But he’ll play a lot, working off the rust before heading to the minor leagues to start the regular season.“We’ll get him as many at-bats as we can and see him in different situations,” manager Don Mattingly said. “There’s going to be a process , with him not playing games in a while and getting him up to speed.”That’s something he has in abundance — speed — and he’s regarded as an excellent defensive player. But the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Mesa didn’t show much power in Cuba, and it’s uncertain how quickly he’ll adjust to big league pitching.Mesa has gone about his business quietly since full-squad workouts began Monday.“I’m happy just to be back on the field,” he said through an interpreter. “I was out of the game for a long time.”The Mesa signings were part of a push by the Marlins to be more active on the international market under CEO Derek Jeter. He wants the Marlins to mirror their diverse city.A Cuban star outfielder would be good business for the attendance-challenged franchise, and Victor Victor is already accustomed to being asked when he’ll reach the majors. The question was raised at a news conference after he signed, and he addressed it again after reporting for spring training.“I believe the moment will come,” he said. “All I have to do is work hard.”The Marlins are rebuilding under Jeter and likely at least a couple of years from ending a playoff drought that dates to 2003. They anticipate their climb into contention will include Mesa, but have no reason to fast-track him.“It will great to see how he mixes in this spring,” president of baseball operations Michael Hill said. “”We just want to get him on the field and get him playing, get him with our coaching staff and start that process toward getting him to the big leagues.”

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