(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees are finding themselves in the news for the wrong reasons lately.
The most recent example was former prospect Ben Ruta revealing on the podcast “Foul Territory” that the organization seemed to value numbers and analytics over actual results.
On Thursday, the former Yankees prospect stopped by the show to clarify his comments on the Yankees’ organizational philosophy.
Ruta had previously claimed that baseball was no longer being taught the right way in the minor leagues or even at the big-league level.
On Twitter, Foul Territory posted a video featuring a snippet from Ruta’s interview where he explained why he believes baseball isn’t being taught correctly.
Should “quality at-bats” be thought about differently?
@benJAMINruta on the shortcomings of not teaching guys to win the right way in the minor leagues.
https://t.co/41Zprao6ex pic.twitter.com/h7fqOgpX46
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 17, 2023
Ruta began by saying that confidence is a key part of baseball and that it’s something those versed in analytics don’t always understand.
He mentioned that confidence can still be had even in the toughest of times, with an example being a player hitting .210 but posting a solid OPS.
In his opinion, that is a positive and correct way to use analytics.
However, Ruta talked about a potential scenario where a runner is on second base and a run needs to be scored.
He says prospects have to ask themselves why they should even consider rolling over a pitch at 72 mph when hits are going to get them to the Majors.
Ruta believes the disconnect comes when concerning quality at-bats.
He says he would make sure players understood the analytics that truly matter, but also stress the importance of quality at-bats.
The post Former Yankees Prospect Clarifies His Controversial Comments appeared first on The Cold Wire.