You see that right there? That is a thing of beauty. A work of artistry. That is the swing of Edwin Encarnacion, 1B for the Toronto Blue Jays. With Encarnacion’s recent quad injury and subsequent placement on the Disabled List, I see it as my duty as a baseball fan and as an American to celebrate one of the prettiest swings in baseball, as we won’t see it for a few weeks (yes, he actually plays for the one Major League team outside of the United States, but a great baseball swing is about as American as it gets).
Encarnacion’s incredible success the past few years can be traced back to the mechanics of his swing. Let’s take a look at it in slow motion to get a better idea of what makes him such a special hitter.
As he waits for the pitch, Encarnacion employs a subtle leg kick while coiling his body before unleashing his hands and bat through the strike zone towards the ball. Notice how short Encarnacion’s swing is — his follow through ends almost immediately — and yet he still manages to produce considerable power due to his bat speed and body control. Watching his swing, it is no wonder he is third in MLB in home runs.
Not only is this a recipe for power, but it makes Encarnacion a more complete hitter. The shortness of his swing allows him to stay back on breaking pitches, avoid getting out of position at the plate, and above all, minimize his strikeouts. Encarnacion’s Strikeout Rate of 15.5% is well above league average, and for a slugger is considered excellent. Combine that with his Walk Rate of 12%, which is again very solid, and it sets the profile for a great hitter.
But is this year’s production sustainable? Perhaps. Encarnacion really broke out in 2012 to the tune of 42 homers, but his Isolated Power this year of .314 is even greater than that year’s .277 (ISO=SLG-AVG, and measures a hitter’s raw power. To put it in perspective, league average is around .145, and an excellent ISO is considered .250). But Encarnacion’s already solid K% is slightly up from past years, so perhaps he is trading in a few more strikeouts for the increased power. Either way, a regression to his career norms would maintain Encarnacion’s status as a terror to face in the batter’s box.
The swing, the power, the walks, and the lack of strikeouts combine to make Encarnacion one of the best hitters in baseball. Using the Offensive Runs Created statistic, which shows the number of runs a player accounts for offensively above league average, Encarnacion ranks 2nd in the American League with 27.6 additional runs. The player in front of him? Some guy named Mike Trout. If you think this was a love story, just wait for that one.
Scouting, Stats, and Stuff 