Hideki Okajima, let’s just say, has had the ball fall in his favor thus far in 2009.
Okajima has only experienced low BABIP’s throughout his 2+ years in the majors. And that “+” is this season, in which Okajima’s Batting Average on Balls in Play is sitting at .235.
Either Hideki is just that hard to pick up, still, or the balls will start to fall in. Because pitchers have a difficulty sustaining low averages on balls off the bat. It just doesn’t happen. Not for long periods of time anyway.
There could always be an exception. And Okajima is a solid reliever. As long as he continues to strike batters out, and walk few, he should display that “solidness” in the future.
However, be aware. Because hitters might start having more success off of him very shortly. Or it will at least seem that way.
By the way, when the ball stays in the park, hitters do not hit Okajima hard. At least not in terms of line drives, which would be a component of what we consider to be hard hit balls.
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This is his 3rd year of baffling batters. They adjust. He adjusts. He is one savvy pitcher. Maybe we can’t expect him to have success every time out . . . and in fact he hasn’t. However, I would be surprised if this guy who has mastered deception plus a variety of excellent pitches doesn’t find new ways to deceive while tweaking his pitches for effect.
Fortunately, the weight is not all on his shoulder this year, so Oki can be used more judiciously, and hitters are getting alot of different looks, perhaps enough to allow Oki to keep on confusing them.
I do like the guy, that is for sure.
i dont think this will last.
looking at http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=7763&position=P
his component numbers are all similar to his previous campaigns. hitters are still swinging at all his pitches at the same rate. (based off his Plate Discipline numbers) his FIP is higher then normal.
but he could stay lucky. i really think that revilers as a whole dont see enough innings to have there true talent level emerge
It is getting close to a seasons worth of innings for Okajima. So hitters should begin to hit the way they should off of him. And I hope that “should” is “not good” :)
The innings seem to be piling up also for Oki-J which could spell some trouble, he seemed to get a little tired last year after he was used immensely earlier in the season and given a short rest, only to bounce back some.
Boston has not face the Orioles yet either and they lit him up pretty good last year.
So, let him rest, and don’t pitch him against the O’s. Masterson, RRamirez could use some more work.