San Diego Padres: Hedges Showcases New Swing

The San Diego Padres fell to 0-3 this spring, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Los Angeles Angels.

Making his San Diego Padres debut yesterday, RHP Bryan Mitchell showcased his entire repertoire and owned former Friar Jabari Blash. With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Blash flied out to Franchy Cordero in centerfield. Trade analysis complete, the Padres won that deal.

Ok, so one spring training battle between Mitchell and Blash doesn’t really tell us anything. However, Mitchell did pitch very well yesterday. Manager Andy Green has been quoted numerous times as saying that Mitchell was brought in to be a member of the starting rotation. It appears as if his spot is secured.

Mitchell saw eight batters, allowing just one fly ball. His final line: two innings pitched, one hit allowed, one walk, and one strike out.

Adjustments made by Austin Hedges will benefit the San Diego Padres.

Austin Hedges made his spring training debut for the Padres on Sunday, showing off his new swing. In  an interview with The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, Hedges described his changes as such,

“I think I’m staying through the ball with my top hand a little bit longer,” said Hedges, who utilized a one-handed follow-through in 2017. “The two-hand finish helps me with that a little bit. I think at times I gave away the ability to stay through with my dominant hand last year, finishing with one hand. The two-hand finish definitely helps me stay through the ball a little longer and ideally have power to all fields.”

Here’s the result of that adjustment,

As for the rest of the Padres’ lineup, things didn’t go as well. The team managed just four hits. Fernando Tatis, Jr continued his cold streak, going 0-3 with another strikeout.

In what has been a pleasant trend for the entire Padres’ lineup, the team recorded seven walks. For the third straight game, the Friars have earned more walks than the opposing team. Patience is a virtue that the Padres seem to be owning. It’s very early, still on February 26th, however, the addition of Matt Stairs as hitting coach seems to be paying off very well so far.

Next: Padres Should Continue Looking at Free Agent Pitchers

The Padres return to action today at 12:10 pm in a rematch against the Los Angeles Angels. RHP Jordan Lyles gets his first taste of spring as he joins the battle for one of the last starting rotation slots. Fans can watch on Fox Sports San Diego or MLB.tv.