Pittsburgh Pirates: 3 Key Factors for Rowdy Tellez's Success
Will the first baseman be able to find the form that produced 35 homers in 2022?
1. Fundamentals at the Plate
The best version of Tellez is a solid pure hitter. In his breakout 2022 season, he ranked in the 75th percentile or better in expected weighted on-base percentage, expected slugging percentage, average exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard-hit percentage, and walk rate. In other words, Tellez has a strong approach with solid bat-to-ball skills that bely his imposing stature.
These skills have been on display since Tellez’s time in Toronto’s minor league system where he caught the eye of former All-Star (and Blue Jay Dad) Dante Bichette. According to Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic, the pair worked together prior to the 2020 season, adjusting Tellez’s two-strike approach and nearly cutting his strikeout rate in half.