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The Change in Approach That is Leading to Better Results For Max Moroff

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INDIANAPOLIS — A learning curve was expected, but it may have lasted longer than desired.

Max Moroff has made a steady climb through the Pirates organization since being selected in the 16th round of the 2012 draft. But the transition to the Triple-A level this season was a slow one.

The effort was there, but the results weren’t. And the more Moroff struggled, the more internal pressure he felt. But something clicked — somewhat unexplainable — and Moroff has had a solid past two months, with the exception of the past five games.

“Max for me has gone through that learning curve from Double-A and it’s taken him a little bit longer,” Indianapolis hitting coach Butch Wynegar said. “He’s tough on himself, so the more he would struggle the more frustrated he would get.”

Moroff leads the International League in walks with 59, while he hit .278 with an OPS of .860 in June. In July, excluding the past five games in which he has just one hit, Moroff is hitting .255.

“I tell you he has just calmed down for whatever reason,” Wynegar said. “I think he has found his hand path again — because we talk a lot about a tight hand path to the body.”

The stat Wynegar likes the most is Moroff’s .860 OPS in June. He has a .770 OPS in July if you exclude is recent five-game slide.

“I talk to the guys about OPS — on base and slugging — and I love that stat because it shows discipline with the idea of getting a good pitch to hit,” Wynegar said, “And when you get it, you’re not missing it and driving it.”

Moroff made a change in his approach at the plate, which has led to his recent success. He simply took some advice from Wynegar during a session in the batting cage.

“Slice the ball or stay inside the ball is another term that has worked for me,” Moroff said. “It’s just allowed me to see better pitches and hit the ball hard and get my walks, get on base. Stay inside the ball is the key term I’m thinking up there.”

At the plate, Moroff has always been a selective hitter that is able to draw walks. During his recent upswing, Moroff has found a zone he’s comfortable hitting within.

“I feel like there’s a little small circle and if the pitch isn’t there then I’m taking it,” Moroff said.

In the past, there has been concern Moroff focused too much on drawing walks. This would lead to him laying off pitches that he can hit, and taking extra strikes in the process. But Wynegar is comfortable with Moroff’s approach at the plate. The two have had several discussions on the difference between good takes and bad takes on pitches.

“I can tell just by how guy takes pitches if they’re locked in or in panic mode,” Wynegar said. “Max’s takes have just been outstanding. I talk to him a lot about wanting him to take pitches like a champ. I don’t want that fastball in and see your body jerking out of the way. Big league hitters take that fastball in and they might raise their hands but their body stays there. Max has done that really well.”

Well enough to draw some high praise from Wynegar.

“If [Pirates manager] Clint Hurdle called me tonight and asked me if Max Moroff could come up there and compete, and give me quality at-bats and good at-bats, I won’t hesitate,” Wynegar said. “I don’t care about the average being .243 or whatever it is right now. Max right now could put a big league at-bat on for you.”

Moroff is hitting for a .760 OPS this season with seven home runs over 92 games.The seven home runs are just one shy of his career-high, which he had with West Virginia in 2013 in 115 games. He’ll take the home runs, but doesn’t consider himself a power hitter in that sense.

“What gives me confidence is when I hit the ball hard,” Moroff said. “If I’m hitting the ball hard and taking my walks, that gives me confidence…. I feel like I’m a gap to gap hitter. I want to be a doubles hitter. I don’t want to be a home run hitter or singles hitter, I want to be a doubles hitter.”

And while the hitting took a while to come around, the effort has been there the entire season. In an Indians’ win earlier this season, Moroff was going to be the first person mentioned in manager Dean Treanor’s daily report.

Indianapolis trailed by one run in the ninth inning when Moroff reached base. Adam Frazier followed with a potential double-play ball, but Moroff slid hard into second which helped disrupt the play enough to negate a possible double play. The Indians went on to win the game on a walk-off hit.

“Good jump off of first, hard into second,” Treanor said. “Frazier busts his ass down the line to tie the game and gives us a chance. If none of that happens, now we’re in here talking about a 4-3 loss. Moroff got in there hard and Frazier got down the line hard. In the box score that will go unnoticed. It doesn’t go unnoticed here. That was a big play. That will be one of the first things I talk about in my report. That’s how you play the game. You play hard.”

The effort has been there all season for Moroff. Now, the results are showing through for him. He’s shown versatility in the field playing shortstop, second base, and third base this season. If his hitting continues to make strides, Moroff could prove to be at valuable utility player in the future, joining Adam Frazier one day in the big leagues to create big plays off the bench for the Pirates.

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