Jake Lamb | baseballmusings.com

Jacob Lamb leads the majors in RBI. RBI is one of those stats, like runs scores, wins, and losses that are highly team influenced, but credited to a particular player. RBI especially took on a overrated significance over the decades, continuing to stand as one of the triple crown statistics. In general, a player with a high RBI total is automatically seen as a clutch power hitter.

Great hitters tend to accumulate high RBI totals because they tend to be placed in the batting order where high RBI totals are possible, that is, behind batters good at getting on base. Also, clutch hitters tend to be generally great hitters. Over time, a hitter’s batting average in all situations is not that different from his batting average in clutch situations. Power matters, as double, triples, and home runs are capable of driving in runners from first base, and unlike singles, almost always score runners from second base. Slugging percentage is a measure of distance around the bases, so players with high slugging percentages move runners a long way.

To run up high RBI totals, batter need to opportunity (men on base), and the power to drive them around. Either one works, but combining both can lead to record seasons. Lamb has both working for him so far. RBI Percentage measures how many base runners the batter delivers as RBI, (RBI – HR)/Base runners. Lamb ranks seventh in the majors in this stat, driving in 20.83 of the runners on base in front of him. He ranks first in runners on base with 192. So he gets the most opportunities, and takes advantage of those.

Compare him to lead-off hitter Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies, who is tied for second in the majors with 53 RBI. In the lead-off slot, he is coming up behind the bottom of the order, which usually includes the pitcher. Blackmon came up with 48 fewer runners on base than Lamb, but converted 26.4% of them into RBI. Blackmon led the majors in RBI for a while, but it is tough to keep that up without the opportunities.

Mark Simon looks at the adjustments Jake Lamb made to his swing:

“I lowered my hands [in the stance] and got a leg kick going,” Lamb said. “The main goal was to create a bat path where I’m entering the [hitting] zone earlier and leaving the zone later.”

Note that this isn’t making his swing longer, it’s spending more time in the hitting zone. Tony Gwynn and Derek Jeter hit like this. The hips fire, but the bat stays back, giving the batter more time to adjust to the pitch. You don’t normally think of this type of hitter as a power hitter, but Lamb appears to be not as extreme as Jeter and Gwynn. His strikeouts are up, but so are his walks. That indicates to me that in addition to the mechanical adjustment, Lamb became more selective at the plate. I really don’t see it in his plate discipline stats, so maybe pitchers are being more careful to him. Dave Magadan wants him to reduce his strikeouts to raise his batting average.

Magadan’s next goal is to help Lamb cut back on his strikeouts, to turn him into a hitter who can hit .315 instead of .290. He thinks his pupil is up for the challenge.

“[What impresses me] is how hard he works and how well he knows his swing,” Magadan said. “When you make a comment about his takeback or leg kick, whatever it is, he’s in tune with what you’re talking about and able to make adjustments right away. He’s got strength he’s got bat speed. He’s a really smart kid who believes in himself. Those are things conducive to having guys improve significantly.”

Lamb is still early in his prime years, so we’ll see how far he goes.

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