Rizzo makes a mid at-bat adjustment and it pays off, a breakdown
What Happened
Anthony Rizzo steps up to the plate for the New York Yankees against the Baltimore Orioles. In the first at-bat, Rizzo watches a 1-0 changeup from Orioles pitcher Jordan Lyles break sharply away from him. Rizzo notes this, realizing Lyles may go to the changeup again in a fastball count. On the 3-2 pitch, Rizzo tells his teammates that he "moved up 3-2 half a foot" in the batter's box, positioning himself to pull the changeup before it breaks away. Lyles does indeed throw another changeup, and Rizzo is able to get the barrel on it, hitting a home run over the short porch in one of the ballpark's 30 home run-friendly zones. In his next at-bat, Rizzo again positions himself further forward in the box, anticipating another changeup from Lyles. Sure enough, Lyles delivers the off-speed pitch, and Rizzo is able to pull it for another home run, demonstrating his mid-at-bat adjustment. The game is tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Rizzo comes to the plate. He has made a conscious decision to move closer to the plate, believing Lyles will try to beat him with the changeup again. This time, Rizzo's adjustment pays off, as he crushes the changeup over the short porch for his second home run of the game, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Rizzo's keen eye and willingness to make an in-game adjustment have allowed him to capitalize on Lyles' tendency to go to the changeup in fastball counts. By moving up in the box, Rizzo has been able to get the barrel to the changeup before it breaks away, resulting in two crucial home runs that have swung the momentum in the Yankees' favor.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentrizzo in the box against the orioles in
tonight's game first pitch is outside he
digs his back foot finds his spot he's
got the 1-0 pitch he's going to see a
lot of different pitches in this played
appearance the 1-0 he's rocking he's
waiting and lyles throws a change up so
you can see what his change up does
like a lot of righty change ups it's in
it's in and then it darts away so it
breaks at the very end away from the
batter rizzo sees that now 2o is
basically a fastball count you want to
throw a pitch especially with runners on
that you think you can throw for a
strike so what's lyle's go to his change
up again so rizzo probably takes note of
that and says alright he threw the he
threw the change up in a fastball count
3-0 he does go inside fastball 3-1
fastball again so now three two rizzo is
probably thinking maybe that changeup is
coming he just did two fastballs i don't
think i'm gonna get a third in a row he
does get a third fastball in a row it's
inside he pokes it over the short porch
a home run in one of 30 ballparks but he
gets it but that's not what's
interesting what's interesting is what
he tells his teammates when he gets back
to the dugout and you can see him say i
moved up 3-2 half a foot
like what well he moved his foot up
in the box for the 3-2 pitch is what
he's telling someone now it's really
hard to see but you can see that he's a
little in front of that line he dug for
himself because you can't see it it's
behind his foot so he moved i'm one of
his meaning like literally half a foot
or he's exaggerating as in 12 inches a
foot but he's a little in front of where
he dug in after the 1-0 pitch and he's
going to tell you his reasoning why he
did that he's proud of it he looks
around he's going to tell you i moved up
to see if they threw me if they threw me
that change up down i would have been
able to pull it
before it broke
so he was thinking they were gonna throw
the change up three two and he was gonna
be able to pull it and get ahead of that
break well in the fifth inning he gets
another plate appearance and here he is
standing again maybe he's moved up again
and he's going to get that change up and
he's going to pull it before it breaks
for a home run
so he made an
adjustment mid at bat based on how he
felt about the pitch and what he saw
which led to one home run on a fastball
but then
used it again in the next snap out which
led to another home run
so
good job rizzo this is a cool shot of
the changeup holding it pretty soft
circle change going away from rizzo and
he just goes out and yanks it over the
short porch again