His teammates nicknamed him “Donnie Barrels” for his great ability to hit the ball with the thick part of the bat. Some on social media called him “Babe Solano.” But few have noticed that he is hitting .400.
This is Colombian infielder for the Giants, Donovan Solano, who probably didn’t get that much attention two years ago – because in his 30s he was a minor league player struggling to get back into the Big Top.
Now 32, Solano posted a 17-game hitting streak with at least one hit (though it ended Sunday, it was the longest in the majors this season) and entered Monday’s action hitting .403. We can dare to say that no one named Barranquilla as the player who would hit .400 in the 60-game campaign. Nor can we ignore his BABIP (average batted balls in play) of .475.
But we shouldn’t qualify it as just a three-week sensation. San Francisco fans who have followed Solano closely will say this: He keeps hitting hits.
Statcast data says the same.
Mainly, the anticipated batting average (xBA) statistic – which calculates the hitters’ outcome based on the quality of their contact (exit velocity and take-off angle) – suggests that Solano is creating his own luck in the BABIP category. . Of the 294 players with at least 250 plate appearances since Solano’s debut with the Giants, only Howie Kendrick of the Nationals and DJ LeMahieu of the Yankees have a better xBA.
Best xBA, since Solano’s debut with SF on May 9, 2019
Minimum of 250 at-bats (295 batters)
1) Howie Kendrick (WSH): .333
2) DJ LeMahieu (NYY): .325
3) Donovan Solano (SF): .322
4) Ketel Mars (ARI): .319
5) Mookie Betts (LAD): .318
xBA: Based on contact quality (muzzle velocity + draft angle), plus strikeouts
The Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon also trails Betts on that list at .314. But we can see Solano’s .348 average as a member of the Giants, which has now hit 287 at-bats, is not as unlikely as it sounds. As for how Solano got to that xBA, Statcast indicates it’s all about his precise line swing. Statcast gives hitters contact with the thick side of the bat when they land at takeoff angles between eight and 32 degrees, and that’s what it sounds like. Solano has an innate ability to hit the ball with the fat end of the bat and send lines across the field.
Highest hit rate with thick end since Solano’s debut with SF
Minimum of 200 balls batted (356 batters)
1) Donovan Solano (SF): 45.8%
2) Mike Trout (LAA): 43.7%
3) Eric Sogard (MIL): 42.4%
4) Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL): 42.2%
5) Yadier Molina (SL): 42.1%
Thick end hits: Balls hit with takeoff angles of 8-32 °
The player above the Venezuelan Acuña and the superstar Trout is someone who did not grow up in a baseball factory (Solano was the 12th Colombian to see action in the Major Leagues in 2012) and has played more than twice as many games in the minor league. than in the majors. And it is much better when colleagues can confirm that information. As we heard from Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (another rising hitting star) in an interview.
“He’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen,” Yastrzemski declared. “It’s not for nothing that we nicknamed him Donnie Barrels. He always hits the ball hard and at key moments. I’ve been quite impressed watching it. “
Yastrzemski was quite inspired on the day of that statement, July 29, when Solano sent a ball into the bleachers at Oracle Park after swinging his hands close to his body. The more someone else sees Solano, the more they become aware of his coordination. As Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic portal pointed out, it is a capability that caught the attention of Giants president Farhan Zaidi when the manager was in the Dodgers management – and Zaidi tried to sign Solano three times before finally adding him. to the Triple-A Oklahoma City branch. When Zaidi took the reins of San Francisco, he also took Solano.
With all the advancements and tools at our disposal, there is still quite a bit of value in hitters who can find space in the grasslands to hit the ball, “said Zaidi. “Obviously, he’s done a great job during his time with the Giants.”
Zaidi has seen quite a few swing changes that have paid off in Los Angeles, so when you look at a minor league hitter with such vigor that he’s been through so many teams, that automatically catches your eye. And while San Francisco is far from a perfect team right now, it appears Zaidi has acquired two figures for the lineup with Solano and Yastrzemski.
Solano may not be comfortable with all the nicknames he’s received (being called Donnie Barrels is “a huge responsibility,” the infielder said), but with his swings, he may have to get used to all that attention. (GG)(Taken MLB.COM)