After a breakout 2014 season where he hit 30 home runs, it wasn’t unrealistic to expect Lucas Duda to experience some regression.
However, Duda is defying the odds again as he’s on pace for an even better season.
With an incredible two home run performance yesterday, Duda is now batting .305 with 19 RBI and a .893 OPS. Both his average and OPS are currently higher than what he finished with last season, and he already has a 1.6 WAR for the season and is on pace for a 6.5 WAR for the year.
The most encouraging aspect of Duda’s season is that he is continuing to make strides by improving on his weaknesses. Last year Duda struggled mightily against left-handed pitching, but he’s now excelling against them, in fact he owns them.
Both of Duda’s home runs yesterday came against lefthanded pitchers. He is hitting .409 (18-44) against lefties this year with six extra-base hits, including four home runs, surpassing his totals from last year when he hit .180 (20-111) with just four extra-base hits and two home runs against them. His 1.207 OPS against lefty pitching is quite the feat.
After the game, Terry Collins unexpectedly gave partial credit to Keith Hernandez for Duda’s new found success against southpaws. (Andy Martino, NY Daily News)
“I tell you what, I’m going to give Keith some credit. There was a day before spring training that he met with Keith about an approach about lefthanded pitching, because Keith had hit lefthanders. I think it helped. I don’t think there is any question it has helped.”
However, Hernandez says it was all because of Duda’s extraordinary dedication and hard work.
“Terry said that? Really? That’s very flattering, but Lucas did it all on his own.”
“I gave him — just basically my experience against lefthanded pitchers, and just kind of passed it along to him,” Hernandez says. “But it was nothing.”
It’s been amazing to witness Duda’s evolution as a player over the years. I remember the days when Duda was harshly criticized by fans and some in the media as a one dimensional player, who had no confidence.
Now he’s transformed himself into one of the most dangerous hitters in the National League.
“It’s like a shotgun off of his bat,” Cuddyer said. “When Carlos Gonzalez is right, that’s kind of how he swings. Too many times, that phrase ‘it’s a different sound off his bat’ gets thrown around. With him, it is like a deep explosion.”
