Jacob Young, a center fielder for the Washington Nationals, is gaining recognition for his exceptional defensive skills and baserunning abilities, evidenced by his high outs above average and stolen bases. However, his offensive performance has raised concerns, with statistics indicating room for improvement in swinging authority. Hitting coach Jeremy Isenhower was initially skeptical of Young's abilities until he witnessed his talent firsthand. Young's awareness of his shortcomings suggests he's determined to enhance his batting performance, despite being primarily valued for his defensive contributions.
“All of a sudden, this kid calls me and it's Jacob Young,” Isenhower said. “I was like 'Alec, you're not going to believe this.'”
Young's defensive and base running skills are unquestioned, finishing with 19 outs above average last season, more than any other outfielder in the majors.
His offense left a lot to be desired, finishing with an 86 OPS+, a statistic that uses 100 as average, meaning he needs to improve.
Young knows he has made progress, but he acknowledges the need to swing with more authority to further enhance his performance.
Collection
[
|
...
]