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?

Milwaukee Brewers v Minnesota Twins
Milwaukee Brewers v Minnesota Twins | Nick Wosika/GettyImages
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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.

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