Abrams' Spring Training Surge: New Discipline, Old Power

0:00Washington National's story is making news on March 18th. CJ Abrams, the 25-year-old shortstop for the Washington Nationals, is off to an impressive start in spring training. In his fourth camp with the team, he slashed his chase rate dramatically, landing in the 85th percentile among hitters. His walk-ray has jumped to over 16 percent. A huge shift from past seasons. Abrams has long been known as a free-swinger, which fueled his power with 18 or more home runs the last three years. But it capped his on-base percentage at just 0.315 last year, below what's ideal for a lead-off spot. The new coaching staff, led by manager Blake Boutera and hitting coach Matt Borscholte, aims to fix that. They want Abrams on-base more often, using his speed to disrupt defenses instead of young bats like James Wood and Dailin Lyle. A key change is the traject pitching machines now at the National Spring Facility. These high-tech tools mimic majorly pitcher's arsenals and speeds.

1:01Abrams showed up early to train with them, and early results show fewer bats swings and more discipline. While spring stats are small only 37 plate appearances, fans and analysts are optimistic. If Abrams sustains this, it could unlock lineup flexibility and boost the Nats offense all season long. This episode is proudly sponsored by our partner. It is a pillow that plays your podcast and music without earbuds. Built for listening in bed, S-O-L-I-SOLYPILLOW.com