Can Increased Aggression Help Jose Iglesias Claim Some Offensive Value?

[Randy Holt]

Jose Iglesias is not having a good season. As of this writing, he's turned in a wRC+ of 66 for a San Diego Padres team in need of supplementary offense. He's at a -3 Outs Above Average for a San Diego Padres team in need of stability on defense. Despite a strong showing in Queens for the New York Mets as recently as last year, he's been sort of a dud off the bench for the Padres. 

None of that mattered on Sunday, of course. Iglesias not only knocked in all three runs to help the Friars take the series over the Kansas City Royals, he provided the walk-off in the ninth inning that sent everyone home happy. It was a brief respite from what has otherwise been a year-long void at the plate in Jose Iglesias form: 

What's notable about the walk-off fielder's choice is that Iglesias merely put a ball in play. With Luis Arráez standing on third, Xander Bogaerts on second, and just one out on the board, the Royals drew the infield in. Iglesias' chopper found Bobby Witt Jr, who didn't have time to nab Arráez at the plate. A ball in play got the job done. Perhaps that's something Iglesias should consider moving forward. 

To say the offense hasn't been there would qualify as something of an understatement. His 44-percent-below-league-average wRC+ is indicative of that alone. Only 21 players among the 268 with at least 150 plate appearances are lower in that regard. Elsewhere on the stat sheet, he's sitting at a .232 average, a .297 on-base percentage, and an isolated power of just .085.

In general, there is some value in his approach. His 16.3 percent strikeout rate is tied for second-best on the team behind only Arráez. So, in theory, balls have been put in play by Iglesias. But avoiding strikeouts isn't necessarily the same thing as having an approach. If anything, the way Iglesias has stepped into the box thus far has been in avoidance of striking out rather than creating offense. There is such a thing as being too patient at the plate.

Iglesias' overall swing rate is down more than six percent from last year (46.0 percent). He's cut his chase rate down by a modest two percent but has lost his swing rate in the zone by almost exactly 11 percent (52.4 percent). As a result, his current K% is four percent higher than his career average along with all of his swing trends dropping to varying degrees. And therein lies the problem: Iglesias isn't simply being patient. He's taking strikes. 

If it were as simple as taking pitches and working your way on base, Iglesias would have a walk rate higher than 5.6 percent, which is ahead of only Arráez. Instead, he's hanging around at a 23.9 percent called strike rate that trails only Chase Meidroth & Alex Verdugo among hitters in that same 150 PA group, as well as a 31.6 CSW% that is one of the league's 10 highest. 

Now, swinging the bat more, in a vacuum, isn't necessarily going to create more offense for Iglesias and the Padres. While he's never been a high-impact swinger, a 0.8 Barrel% & 23.3 Hard-Hit% are low even by his standards. But, it's fairly clear that patience alone isn't a virtue for his game. Opposing pitchers are already hitting the zone at a 53.2 percent clip. There are opportunities here for Iglesias to get the bat through the zone with a little more frequency. A reevaluation of the zone can help more balls find their way in play and, ideally, lead pitchers to work around the zone a little bit more. That would, in turn, allow Iglesias to turn that keen eye into something valuable via the walk. 

This is all hypothetical and relatively oversimplified, of course. But, last year's numbers can give us a little bit of insight into what a more active version of Jose Iglesias looks like. He swung at a 52.5 percent rate overall and a 63.3 percent rate inside of the strike zone. The result? A lower strikeout rate, some batted ball luck, and a wRC+ of 137. It might be unreasonable to expect him to replicate it exactly, but there's recent precedent for additional value in his bat given his overall ability to make contact.

It's a simple fix that isn't guaranteed to work given his already-modest impact at the plate. But, as the trade deadline draws ever closer, it becomes inevitable that the Padres are going to bring in some new blood for the bench. A player that appears to be well-liked in the clubhouse and possesses no shortage of veteran experience could be safe, but he could further help his case by serving as a creator more at the plate rather than a spectator.

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