Fresno, CA - according to mlb.com, Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals leads the Major Leagues in Slugging Percentage (.706), On-Base + Slugging Percentage (1.173), and is tied in home-runs with Nelson Cruz of the Seattle Mariners, with 18.
Harper's biggest home-run season came in 2012 when he hit 22 dingers with 597 plate appearances. He already has 18 homers in 2015 with 225 plate appearances!!!
What's going on?
He's made a mechanical change to the placement of his back foot and leg during his swing. Before he "jumped" his back leg up too high which made him ineffective with matching the downward plane of the pitch with his barrel.
With this one change, and providing he doesn't get hurt, Harper will hit at least 30-35 homers this year.
The good news is, if Bryce Harper fixed a couple other things mechanically, he could be a 40+ home-run hitter per year.
Despite this year's power surge, there are other "power leaks" that Bryce Harper is still suffering from. In comparing another comparable hitter, Harper could learn a few things from Mike Trout, the 2014 AL MVP.
According to FanGraphs.com, Trout (6'2", 230-pounds) is about the same size as Harper (6'3", 225-pounds), and since both were in the Big Leagues together in 2012, Trout has been dominating offensively.
So, what can Bryce Harper learn from Mike Trout mechanically?
- How to use Ground Reaction Forces (GRF) better according to Dr. Serge Gracovetsky in his book The Spinal Engine,
- How to load springy connective tissue better according to Thomas Myers in his book Anatomy Trains, and
- Strict following of the "One-Joint" Rule according to Dr. Kelly Starrett of MobilityWOD.com.
My name is Joey Myers and I'm the founder of HittingPerformanceLab.com.
I'm a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), the International Youth & Conditioning Association (IYCA), and Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). I'm also partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA).
I played four years of Division-1 college baseball at Fresno State, I've spent the last decade in corrective fitness, and have a passionate curiosity to help baseball and softball players dramatically improve performance through the science of human movement.
It's NOT how you study, but what you study that counts. We apply proven human movement science to hitting a ball.