Padres News: Gyorko Working On Swing

By Andrew Beccarelli | Mar 2, 2015

The San Diego Padres are less than a week into Spring Training and newly appointed Hitting Coach, Mark Kotsay, has his first assignment, get Jedd Gyorko back on track.

After a promising rookie season the Padres second baseman was limited to only 111 games in 2014 due to plantar flasciitis in his left foot. Gyorko finished last season with a disappointing .210 batting average and 10 home runs. Compare that to his rookie season the year before when he hit .249 and 23 home runs, and was rewarded with a lucrative new contract (five years/$35 million).

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To get Gyorko back to his fastball crushing ways after his ugly sophomore slump, Kotsay is having Gyorko work to keeping his hips closer and more aligned, and not allowing them to open up, which could leave him susceptible to outside pitches.

"“We’re making sure the hips stay in so they don’t come out like they did at the beginning of last year to make sure everything is working in the right direction,” he said. “It allows me to see the ball a little longer and a little better.“It will allow me to hit the ball the other way with power or just shoot it the other way, and gets me on time to pull the ball so I don’t get jammed.”– Jedd Gyorko"

Gyorko was so dominate in the minor leagues, I was so happy when he finally got called up to the majors. When he started to perform really well his rookie year, there was a lot of hope. Gyorko looked like one of those promising prospects we had been promised by the former Padres ownership for so long.

That made it all the more disappointing last season when Gyorko failed to recapture his form after his stint on the disabled list.

I am hoping Kotsay can get Gyorko to the next level. Now that the Padres have acquired some new offensive weapons this off-season, Gyorko is in a position to get better pitches if he is hitting between proven threats like Matt Kemp and Justin Upton.

Gyorko’s success in the batters box this season is ultimately in his own hands, or should I say hips. It is really up to him to put the work in and continue to evolve as a major league hitter. It is a process that all professional ball players must go through. If he can’t get back to his old hitting ways, new Padres General Manager, A.J. Preller, has shown he is willing to move anyone to improve his club. Even a young player like Gyorko.

What are you guys expecting out of Gyorko this season? What impact will the new offensive weapons have on Gyorko’s success?

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