I don't think I'm a home run hitter. Most of my home runs are line drives. If I hit it, thanks God. But it's not the kind of thing that I think about. I just go out there and try to have a better season than I had before. Home runs are not in my mind.
I know I'm good when I'm hitting the ball the other way - that's Albert Pujols.
What you have to do in certain situations, that's called situational hitting.
When I'm at the plate, I'm not thinking about what I'm trying to do with the bat - I'm thinking about what the pitcher is trying to do with the ball.
If you try to give them a scheme, most hitters will rebel.
After all, there's only one aswer to be made to the young fellow who is asking constantly for advice as to how to hit. The answer is: "Pick out a good one and sock it!
I looked for the same pitch my whole career, a breaking ball. All of the time. I never worried about the fastball. They couldn't throw it past me, none of them.
If you get fooled by a pitch with less than two strikes, take it.
I think there's a growing number of pitchers who want to have a plan going into a game about how they're going to go after that lineup. I'd say 75 percent want to have an idea, and they plan their attack. I know that 75 percent of hitters do not have that same type of plan against a pitcher.
A hitter's impatience is the pitcher's biggest advantage.
Players who stand flat footed and swing with their arms are golfers, not hitters.
You don't catch the knuckleball, you defend against it.
The one unbreakable rule about hitting is this: if a batter hits well with his own particular stance and swing, think twice - or more - before suggesting a change.
A lot of guys are free swingers, but I'm up there looking for a specific pitch.
I would think I drive most hitting coaches crazy. During one single at-bat I used six different stances on six pitches. Oh yeah, I also struck out. So what do I know?
Hitters are too big, too strong, and their bats are too quick. I have to go inside to have success.
To tell the truth, I never think about a homer. I'm just thinking of the situation and what I've got to do when I go to the plate.
This is the big leagues; pitchers throw a lot of strikes. I feel like they attack me. That's why I go up there and swing.
With a runner at second base with nobody out, you're trying to punch somebody out. You understand when there are guys in scoring position; hitters like to be aggressive early.
For me, the strike zone has always been, If it's something I can drive, it's most likely a strike. I feel like if it's a ball I really can't do much with, it's most likely a ball. So that's just always been my approach.
I wouldn't describe myself as a home run hitter. I'm just trying to hit the ball hard in the gaps. Just backspinning baseballs and hitting line drives.
The key to hitting for high average is to relax, concentrate, and don't hit the fly ball to center field.
Guys don't want to get to two strikes, so you have to make quality pitches early in the count, try to get them to put the ball in play.
You never hit a good slider or curveball; you just try to go after the mistakes.
Contrary to everyone's belief of 'J.D. is a launch-angle guy. He wants to get the ball in the air and this and that.' This is true, but you're not trying to force situations, trying to force things.
