- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
LSU has a walks problem. Here's why its been an issue for Jay Johnson's staff.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 6:16 am
Posted on 3/27/25 at 6:16 am
LINK
quote:
The lack of command is the leading issue with LSU's staff as conference play continues this weekend when the Tigers host Mississippi State for a three-game series beginning Thursday at Alex Box Stadium (7 p.m., SEC Network).
"We look at everything in terms of strikes," LSU coach Jay Johnson said. "There's a premium on strike one, there's a premium on two (strikes) out of the first three (pitches), and there's a premium on executing the strike to finish the hitter, whether that's a strikeout or weak contact."
Free passes haven't been an issue for sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson, freshman right-hander Casan Evans or junior right-hander Zac Cowan. As the competition has improved, they've elevated with it. But that hasn't been the case for many LSU pitchers through two weekends of SEC play.
quote:
Pitchers other than Cowan, Anderson and Evans walked nine batters in 12? innings last weekend against Texas. Against Missouri the week before, they walked 11 hitters.
quote:
LSU has the pitching talent to excel in the SEC. It's just a matter of consistently executing pitches and gaining more experience against a higher level of competition.
LSU hardly brought back anyone from last year's pitching staff. The Tigers lost 12 of their top 14 pitchers in terms of innings. Anderson and junior right-hander Gavin Guidry were the pitchers who came back, but Guidry has been out with a back injury since February and hasn't pitched this season.
"I've said this before: The best coach any player ever has is playing time and experience," Johnson said Wednesday. "And it gets lost sometimes because of talented players, but they haven't been there in a lot of ways."
quote:
"Something I tell the team is, most games are lost in college baseball, not won," Johnson said. "And we just want to be a hard team to play where we don't really give the other team anything."
11
Posted on 3/27/25 at 6:23 am to Major Dutch Schaefer
It's not a coaching issue. It's a talent issue. Yeskie just doesn't have good pitchers to work with. #1 portal class of pitchers. Top ranked high school pitcher in back to back years. He's doing the best he can with limited talent.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 6:47 am to Future Islands
quote:
Yeskie just doesn't have good pitchers to work with
I mean all of his weekend starters will be chosen in the top 100 picks
Posted on 3/27/25 at 6:55 am to Future Islands
quote:
Yeskie
Is the problem IMO
Posted on 3/27/25 at 6:57 am to Major Dutch Schaefer
When you go out and get a bunch of pitchers in the portal who have control problems, and you're not fixing said control problems, this is where we're at.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 6:58 am to Lester Earl
quote:
I mean all of his weekend starters will be chosen in the top 100 picks
Google sarcasm.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 7:03 am to thunderbird1100
It’s been frustrating to see TN pick up a guy like Liam Doyle and transform him into one of the best pitchers in the country and Auburn take Sam Dutton and turn him into an effective weekend starter…meanwhile, what has LSU done? We signed one of the best high school pitchers in the country, who scouts say had one of the best curve balls in the entire draft, and he gets to campus and can’t find the plate with it. We signed multiple high level arms out of the portal, and there’s just been no development at all.
This post was edited on 3/27/25 at 7:04 am
Posted on 3/27/25 at 7:07 am to supersaints9
quote:He’s the problem.
Yeskie
Posted on 3/27/25 at 7:12 am to Future Islands
quote:
It’s been frustrating to see TN pick up a guy like Liam Doyle and transform him into one of the best pitchers in the country and Auburn take Sam Dutton and turn him into an effective weekend starter…meanwhile, what has LSU done? We signed one of the best high school pitchers in the country, who scouts say had one of the best curve balls in the entire draft, and he gets to campus and can’t find the plate with it. We signed multiple high level arms out of the portal, and there’s just been no development at all.
The pitchers we got from the portal who didnt have control problems (Cowan, Eyanson) are the ones who arent having control problems.
All the rest of them had control problems, and continue to have control problems.
I hope Yeskie and Jay are learning a solid lesson here if they cant get 70% of the arms we got from the portal to throw strikes consistently who all couldnt really previously either. Place a premium on strike throwers in the portal with stuff 2nd to that, not the other way around.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 7:17 am to Major Dutch Schaefer
LSU is 18th in WHIP in the NCAA @ 1.23 as a staff. That is 8th in the SEC, so middle of the pack
61st in walks per 9 innings, just under 4 (3.99). Arkansas is first at Just under 3 (2.90). The difference between first and 61st is 1 walk per game. That is 10th in the SEC.
I think the "walks problem" may be a bit overstated but there is definitely plenty of room for improvement, particularly from the younger guys. I would say that improvement is expected to come over the season.
61st in walks per 9 innings, just under 4 (3.99). Arkansas is first at Just under 3 (2.90). The difference between first and 61st is 1 walk per game. That is 10th in the SEC.
I think the "walks problem" may be a bit overstated but there is definitely plenty of room for improvement, particularly from the younger guys. I would say that improvement is expected to come over the season.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 7:37 am to mdomingue
I don't think the walk issue is as big of an issue as how many times we get to 2 strikes and can't get an out. Yeskie has the guys throwing stuff all over the place trying to get the batters to chase. And then they get in trouble, throw some crap right over the plate and guys hit us hard.
This is the 2nd year in a row that our bullpen is having the exact same problem, with completely different pitchers. It doesn't really seem fair to blame the bullpen pitchers every year and give Yeskie a pass.
This is the 2nd year in a row that our bullpen is having the exact same problem, with completely different pitchers. It doesn't really seem fair to blame the bullpen pitchers every year and give Yeskie a pass.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 7:40 am to Major Dutch Schaefer
Need better mental training. This isn’t a physical issue
Pitchers are like kickers.You can see the meltdowns coming in many cases. It’s confidence and overcoming pressure
Recruit more dogs and steady heartbeats. Stay away from betas and mentally fragile kids
Pitchers are like kickers.You can see the meltdowns coming in many cases. It’s confidence and overcoming pressure
Recruit more dogs and steady heartbeats. Stay away from betas and mentally fragile kids
Posted on 3/27/25 at 7:43 am to LSUgrad88
quote:
Google sarcasm.
It’s not sarcasm. He is a genuine idiot like yourself
Posted on 3/27/25 at 7:47 am to Future Islands
If you watch closely, it’s not the ability of the pitchers we have to make various pitches at various speeds. This part is mostly coaching. It’s not the locations called either. It’s the execution part (throwing these variable pitches) for strikes early in the count that is absolutely where we err.
The catcher tells us that these guys, when they get into trouble, are not hitting their locations.
Behind in the count equals, walks and high stress at bats that leads to fatigue, more mental than physical.
That execution part is not as coachable. Pitchers gotta pitch.
The catcher tells us that these guys, when they get into trouble, are not hitting their locations.
Behind in the count equals, walks and high stress at bats that leads to fatigue, more mental than physical.
That execution part is not as coachable. Pitchers gotta pitch.
This post was edited on 3/27/25 at 7:51 am
Posted on 3/27/25 at 8:00 am to mdomingue
quote:
61st in walks per 9 innings, just under 4 (3.99). Arkansas is first at Just under 3 (2.90). The difference between first and 61st is 1 walk per game. That is 10th in the SEC.
I think the "walks problem" may be a bit overstated but there is definitely plenty of room for improvement, particularly from the younger guys. I would say that improvement is expected to come over the season.
That’s a simplistic way of looking at it. Having 4 walks spread out over 9 innings is very different than having your starter go 6+ innings with no walks then having 4 walks over the last 3 innings.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 8:03 am to hashtag
Yeskie is NOT calling chase pitches early in the count unless there is a hot batter with tendencies.
Watch closely and you’ll see that we are missing our spots early in the count. This is the most significant problem.
Hurd, last year was a perfect example of what can happen. Ahead in the count, he was very effective, but 2-0,…lots of walks and hits.
Hitters swinging at first pitch strikes will have a degree of success, that can’t be stopped. But, as a percentage, you’re going to induce more weak contact than not if they do it consistently. That is what Yeskie is coaching.
Watch closely and you’ll see that we are missing our spots early in the count. This is the most significant problem.
Hurd, last year was a perfect example of what can happen. Ahead in the count, he was very effective, but 2-0,…lots of walks and hits.
Hitters swinging at first pitch strikes will have a degree of success, that can’t be stopped. But, as a percentage, you’re going to induce more weak contact than not if they do it consistently. That is what Yeskie is coaching.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 8:06 am to Future Islands
quote:
We signed multiple high level arms out of the portal, and there’s just been no development at all.
That’s just false. You’re just not giving credit to the guys who did develop.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 8:11 am to Future Islands
quote:
Auburn take Sam Dutton and turn him into an effective weekend starter
I didn’t realize how well he was doing. Impressive
Posted on 3/27/25 at 8:15 am to LSBoosie
quote:
That’s a simplistic way of looking at it. Having 4 walks spread out over 9 innings is very different than having your starter go 6+ innings with no walks then having 4 walks over the last 3 innings.
Bingo, this has been a major problem for us when a number of guys come out the pen
Bullpen only
Game 2 against Texas - 5 walks in 3.2 IP
Game 3 against Mizzou - 3 walks, 1 WP, 1 HBP in 5.1 IP
Game 2 against Mizzou - 6 walks, 1 WP, 2 HBP in 5.1 IP
The 3 other SEC games the pen was just fine to very good even. So its not every game, but when they're bad, they are definitely bad and its been in half the SEC games at this point plus some non conference weekend games as well.
Posted on 3/27/25 at 8:17 am to supersaints9
quote:quote:
Yeskie
Is the problem IMO
How is he coaching the pitchers wrong? What mistakes is he making? I understand series rotation may have kept LSU from taking game two against Texas last weekend but that seems more of a Jay problem. How can Yeskie help these guys get more command? They have good velocity but they are just not hitting the spots at key moments.
Page 1 of 4
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News