What a difference a year makes for Yasiel Puig . Entering drafts in 2019, he represented a target primed for a breakout moving to Cicinnati’s friendly environment and potentially unlocking his opposite field power. On the surface, Puig produced a decent season with 76 runs, 24 home runs, 84 RBI, 19 stolen bases and a .267/.327/.458 slash line over 149 contests. But, it also felt like a disappointment as well. Puig ended the year with Cleveland hitting only two home runs his last 49 games with the Indians but stealing five bases with a .297 average.
Every time it feels like fantasy owners can get a feel for how Puig will perform, situations change. Perhaps it’s time to accept him for who Puig appears to be. A .260-ish hitter with mid-20 home run power and the ability to generate stolen bases in the double digits provided the chance to run.
Beneath his numbers from 2019, Puig recorded his highest swinging strike percent (13.6) since 2015, and the highest O-Swing (outside the strike zone) percentage of his career at 34.2 percent. Perhaps he tried too hard to impress his new employers, but being reunited with his former hitting coach from the Dodgers did not yield past results. During the most active season in the live ball era for home runs, Puig’s isolated power fell to .191 with his strikeout percentage rising. That is less than optimal.
According to Statcast, Puig registered 426 batted ball events with 41 barrels (9.6 percent), an 89.9 MPH average exit velocity and 14.2 degree launch angle. Yet, his sweet spot and hard hit percentages both declined. Puig generated more fly balls with less ground balls within his batted ball data, but a drop in line drive percentage capped his average while the ballpark effects did not result in the power spike many anticipated. Here’s Puig’s spray chart from last season: