Former SF Giants outfielder's hot start with new club poses interesting question

Former SF Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski is settling in nicely with his new club. The veteran bat's hot start with the Kansas City Royals poses an interesting question as to what has led to the offensive outburst.

Former SF Giants outfielder's hot start with new club poses interesting question

Earlier this week, we checked in on how each of the players traded by the Giants at the trade deadline are doing with their new teams. Camilo Doval has struggled with the New York Yankees, but as a reliever, that could improve quickly.

Yastrzemski and Tyler Rogers have been solid additions for the Royals and New York Mets, respectively. Rogers has posted a 1.93 ERA in 9.1 frames since the trade deadline. Oddly, he has recorded only one strikeout and one walk with his new club. The veteran reliever will be a popular target in free agency.

On the other hand, Yastrzemski is hitting .226/.328/.585 (140 wRC+) with five home runs, eight RBI, and 13 runs in 64 plate appearances with Kansas City. Overall, he is slashing .230/.329/.388 (103 wRC+) in 436 plate appearances split between the Giantgs and Royals.

What has led to the offensive surge? There are a lot of possibilities. The popular theory seems to be a move away from the Giants' coaching. Last week, we looked at a stat that highlights a potential issue with Giants hitters at the plate. They were looking at too many mistake pitches out over the plate. Are the hitting coaches responsible for this? The players? It is likely a combination of both. The hitting coaches can only do so much to prepare hitters, but it is up to the players to execute.

Another idea is the realization that Yastrzemski is a streaky hitter. I do not like using that as some type of flaw for a player because hitters are streaky hitters. What separates the great hitters from the good hitters is that the former group's struggles are not nearly as pronounced.

Giants fans have seen this from Yastrzemski over the years. He can carry a lineup when he is hot, but the struggles are brutal as well. If you look at Yastrzemski's monthly splits this season, he has put up quality numbers every other month. The Royals might have lucked out, adding him during one of his hot months.

Undoubtedly, a move away from Oracle Park certainly helps. It is impossible to ignore that hitting home runs is just difficult at Oracle Park. According to Baseball Savant, at least three of his five home runs with Kansas City would not have left Oracle Park.

The likely explanation is a combination of all three factors. The Royals sit 2.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third Wild Card spot, and the 34-year-old outfielder has contributed nicely to their playoff push.

More from Around the Foghorn: