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Pirates Prospects Daily: What Makes Endy Rodriguez So Good?

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I feel like there is a misconception at times when it comes to what truly makes some baseball players special.

Sure, seeing someone launch a no doubter over the fence is special, and it’s something that should be celebrated, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. What makes a hitter special is the little things, stuff that can often get overlooked, especially scanning the box score at the end of the game.

That’s why I found it fun that the most intriguing of the three hits Endy Rodriguez picked up on Saturday wasn’t the home run, but the hit he picked up in the first inning.

Endy opens up early, almost like he was thinking fastball right out the hand, only to be met with an 81.9 mph changeup. He’s able to adjust and square up and hit the ball to center field.

When it comes to exit velocity, Rodriguez doesn’t actually hit the ball that hard, with an average of just 84 mph through Saturday’s nights game. So it’s not necessarily the power that makes him special, it’s stuff like this.

It shouldn’t be a surprise at his incredible contact rates against breaking and offspeed pitches. This season he’s swung at 43 non-fastballs and has only missed seven times — a remarkable 16.2% whiff rate.

Anthony Murphy
Anthony Murphy
Anthony began writing over 10 years ago, starting a personal blog to cover the 2011 MLB draft, where the Pirates selected first overall. After bouncing around many websites covering hockey, he refocused his attention to baseball, his first love when it comes to sports. He eventually found himself here at Pirates Prospects in late 2021, where he covers the team’s four full season minor league affiliates.

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