There are those who would like to see White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal be just a little less selective and be a more agressive run producer but asking Grandal to change his approach would be a waste of time.
Grandal, who owned an odd .121/.388/.259 hitting line going into Sunday’s game at Kansas City, said he won’t expand his strike zone. He’s proud of the on-base percentage, beefed up by an American League high 26 walks including 13 in his last four games, the recent streak (a hitless one) putting him in classy company with Babe Ruth and Bryce Harper as the only three players in the modern era to do so.
“Well, my numbers haven’t changed,” Grandal said Sunday. “I don’t know if you guys did homework when I first signed here [for $73 million], but it seems to be right on point.”
Grandal, a switch hitter who owns a .238/.349/.441 batting line (average, on-base and slugging percentage), believes he’s making good contact but hitting balls right at people, and that pitchers are “dotting” pitches, or hitting their spots with pin-point accuracy, to him.
“I’m done swinging at pitches that they want me to swing at,” he said. “If you make a mistake, I want to crush you. If you don’t, then I’m going to walk.”
Grandal had seven hits — two homers, two doubles and three singles — entering Sunday, but that didn’t sway manager Tony La Russa from moving him up to fifth behind Jose Abreu and ahead of designated hitter Yermin Mercedes against Royals lefty Mike Minor.
“He likes swinging from the right side right now, like to get his bat into play,” La Russa said. “We’ll take the walks, but you get Jose in front of him and you get Mercedes behind him, hopefully we’ll get his bat.”
Grandal said we’ll get it when he gets pitches to hit.
“Those are not pitches I can do damage with,” he said. “I’m known to be a player of, I’m going to take care of my pitching staff, I’m going to hit for power and I’m going to get on base. That’s pretty much it.”
This and that
After an off day Monday, the third in a span of eight days, Dylan Cease (Tuesday), Dallas Keuchel (Wednesday) and Carlos Rodon (Thursday) will start against the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field.
*Michael Kopech will be La Russa’s “No. 1 consideration” to start one of the games Friday in a doubleheader against the Royals.
