[討論] Has Zoby Inspired Team To Take Walks?

[RoyGuy (相信)]

by John Viri

KC Royals outfielder Ben Zobrist has been a big hit so far with his new team.
Acquired July 27 in a trade with the Oakland A’s, Zobrist has slashed
.333/.444/.549 since playing his first game with the Kansas City Royals on
July 30. But, something funny has also happened to the rest of the Royals
hitters. They’re suddenly taking walks.

Could something that I want to call, “The Ben Zobrist Effect” actually be
occurring?

For the season, the KC Royals have posted a mere 5.9% walk rate—which is the
lowest in the major leagues. However. halfway through August, the team  is
suddenly taking walks 7.9% of their plate appearances, which is 10th in major
league baseball for the month.

What gives?

Did Ben Zobrist deliver a clubhouse speech that inspired his new teammates to
discover their patience at the plate? Last season’s now-famous locker room
oration from mid-season acquisition Raúl Ibañez, that helped the 2014 KC
Royals to believe in themselves, makes me think that it’s at least possible
Zobrist did something similar.

Whatever the cause, let’s just hope it’s not just a small sample size
artifact. Because if the Kansas City Royals have indeed become a much more
patient team, then they’re an even more dangerous playoff opponent than the
club that won the AL pennant in 2014.

For years, we’ve known that the KC Royals don’t take walks. Us
sabermetrically-inclined fans have been condescendingly told by the
organization that the coaches don’t want to take away the lineup’s “
aggressiveness” every time we pointed out this shortcoming. Now, suddenly,
the Kansas City Royals have become much more patient at the plate. And the
offensive results have improved, not suffered.

Through 14 games in August, the KC Royals have scored 69 runs—which works
out to a healthy 4.92 runs per game. The team has slashed .269/.334/.432,
which is good for a wRC+ (adjusted runs created) of  +112 (12% better than
league average). That run total is 7th in major league baseball, and third in
the American League. To put this in perspective, the Kansas City Royals have
scored more runs in August than the Toronto Blue Jays.

Maybe it’s Zobrist, or maybe the Royals young hitters just happened to
collectively mature just when the team dealt for Zobrist. The reason, I
suppose, doesn’t really matter.

The hopeful part about this improved patience is that when Alex Gordon
returns, the KC Royals figure to walk even more. Gordon had the highest walk
rate (and OBP) on the team when he injured his groin on July 8.

If the rest of the Kansas City Royals have, indeed, learned to channel their
inner Zobrist at the plate due to some kind of clubhouse voodoo, they will be
more formidable in October. Limited power will be the team’s only real
weakness.

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