Is power a skill that can be developed?
That question has been on my mind when watching Oregon State take on Arizona State this past weekend. The Beavers have three players that could be targeted by the Chicago White Sox at some point in the draft: SS Cadyn Grenier, OF Trevor Larnach, and 2B Nick Madrigal. The second round is more likely for Grenier as he has good skills all around but no plus tools. With 12 home runs so far in 2018, Larnach may have slugged himself into the late first round territory and most likely will be off the board by the time Nick Hostetler has to make the 46th pick.
Madrigal is the prized prospect. Considered one of the best, if not the best, position player out of college in this year's draft class. In the first two weeks of the season, Madrigal was on a torrid pace hitting 15-for-28 before breaking his wrist sliding into home plate against Ohio State. Missing significant time, Madrigal has recently returned to action at a time that the Beavers are chasing Stanford in the Pac-12 standings.
The skills Madrigal possesses is plus-speed on the basepath's where he can be an above average base stealer, good lateral movement at second base, he makes excellent transitions when turning two, and you can tell he's the leader of this team. Every time a Beavers pitcher got into a jam, it was always Madrigal first to the mound to either offer encouragement or try to pump them up. It might not be a significant attribute, but this is something scouts notice and beam about when writing up reports.
No matter what people say though, his short stature does play a part in where Madrigal can help teams. He doesn't have the range to be an everyday shortstop, and some say that he doesn't have the arm strength to make the necessary throws especially moving to his right. Hence why Grenier plays shortstop and Madrigal is at second base.
Then there is what Madrigal can bring offensively.
Without a doubt, Madrigal has a better eye at the plate than recent White Sox picks Zack Collins and Jake Burger. He has this ability to grind out at-bats by frustrating pitchers fouling off good two-strike pitches. I saw on numerous occasions where Madrigal reminded me of Yoan Moncada taking a close ball with two strikes instead of chasing it. Easy 65 contact skills as Madrigal can spray it to all fields, and even though he bats right-handed, Madrigal doesn't spin himself out of control as Tim Anderson does out of the box. Any grounder in the hole between short and third is in trouble of being an infield hit. Madrigal also can continuously find the sweet spot between the outfielders and infielders with line drives that appear so easy for him.
Even though it's just been 13 games with 59 plate appearances, Madrigal has yet to strikeout. The ball will be in play when Madrigal is at bat which puts pressure on the defense. While Madrigal has plus-plus contact and batting eye skills, the power is a 45-grade. In today's game, with crazy home run numbers now appearing even for middle infielders, is selecting a second baseman with below average power the best route to go when the team has the number four pick?
If you believe that your development team can help make slight adjustments to increase power, the answer is an absolute "Yes."
When watching Madrigal swing, the first thing you will notice is his leg kick. Now, hitters do this for a variety of reasons. Some do the high leg kick to help them get their hips through the zone. Others, use the leg kick for a timing mechanism, and Madrigal falls into this category
As Madrigal's front leg comes down to the ground, you will notice not much hip movement. It's like the front foot has to be in place before the other moving parts of Madrigal's swing begin. Once it's down, then the hands and hips move through the zone, but what's impressive is Madrigal's head control. It barely moves, and I think this ability is why he's so good at putting the ball in play. Even though there isn't much momentum carrying through the swing into the ball, it's just enough for Madrigal to hit line drives through the infield or catch a gap.
I do wonder if pitchers in the minors would use that front leg of Madrigal's against him by throwing more off-speed pitches to mess up his timing. On occasion, Madrigal would be too aggressive going after the first pitch where he would beat it into the ground to the shortstop. Changeups could be his enemy because the leg kick does allow Madrigal to keep his hands back against breaking pitches. Watching his games against Oregon and Arizona State, nobody threw 94+ mph to see if better velocity tied Madrigal up.
If a hitting coach could work with Madrigal on getting his hips through the zone as he is planting the front leg, I do think there is some untapped power in his stroke. Maybe not above average power, but if Madrigal can be a 50-55 power hitter along with his contact skills and batting eye, this is an ideal hitter to bat leadoff.
You'll read about this, hear about it, and watch it on TV during the MLB Draft where analysts are making the comparison for Madrigal to Houston's Jose Altuve. I don't know about that, but back to my original premise about a hitter developing more power in their swing. For his first three and half seasons, Altuve hit 21 home runs in 2,243 plate appearances. Since 2015, Altuve has hit 65 home runs in 2,196 plate appearances. If a similar stature player can learn how to hit for above average power, maybe so can Madrigal.
It's just a matter if you believe in your team's development staff to help Madrigal hit for more power. If a team believes it can, Madrigal could be a fast riser through any system. For a team like the White Sox who are starving for middle infield depth within the system, this could be a good fit for both parties. Players who have the ability to collect 200 hits with 60+ extra base knocks don't grow on trees.
