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<\/p>\nCLEVELAND \u2014 The photo was one of the first on Ram\u00f3n Laureano\u2019s camera roll, because he checks the page so often. What it shows is an almost imperceptible change that holds the key to Laureano\u2019s breakout success with the Orioles.<\/p>\n
Watch how his front foot lands. To the plain eye, it would be hard to see. But the screenshot of the Statcast website Laureano showed in the visiting clubhouse at Progressive Field held the solution to the problem Laureano faced in the early part of 2024 and for years prior.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the tiny details,\u201d Laureano said.<\/p>\n
And this one is tiny.<\/p>\n
In baseball, the terms open and closed refer to how a batter stands as he waits for the pitcher to start his delivery as well as where his feet are positioned after he\u2019s made his stride during his swing. An open stance is one where the front foot is farther from the plate than the back foot. A closed stance leaves the shoulders and hips facing in toward the plate.<\/p>\n
But Laureano realized last year in Cleveland that, for years, he had been too open. He closed his stance slightly and, just like that, Laureano went from a castaway early in 2024 to a potentially coveted trade chip this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it, really,\u201d Laureano said.<\/p>\n
A year ago, when Laureano called Progressive Field his home as a member of the Guardians, he struggled to find consistency. He hit .143 in 31 games, and Laureano was soon designated for assignment and released. The path back to regular playing time in the majors, first with the Atlanta Braves and now with the Orioles, involved a study of his best swings from early in his career.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s only a difference of 6 degrees \u2014 a 1-degree open stance in 2024 compared to a 5-degree closed stance this year. He\u2019s also standing farther back in the box and farther from the plate than recent seasons. The results \u2014 an .858 on-base-plus-slugging percentage \u2014 have made him an unexpected everyday player for Baltimore. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I left Cleveland, I just worked on my hitting,\u201d Laureano said. \u201cI was flying open. So you go forward. What I do is I close my front hip, so I just land closed. Be on top of the ball like I\u2019ve always been. Literally, shifting my hips like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Statcast graphic Laureano keeps on his phone shows how he starts his swing closed (black) and, more importantly, lands closed (red).<\/p>\n
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This is a screenshot that Ram\u00f3n Laureano keeps on his phone from Statcast. He updates it every so often. It shows that Laureano\u2019s stance is closed. (Statcast) <\/p>\n
Laureano\u2019s resurgence has thrust him into trade rumors ahead of the July 31 deadline. With an affordable $6.5 million club option next season, the Orioles aren\u2019t eager to trade him. But that additional control could mean a more lucrative return for Baltimore.<\/p>\n
All of that, though, is out of Laureano\u2019s mind. He said he hears about the rumors, of course. He gets messages from his parents. \u201cBut it is what it is, part of the game. It\u2019s part of the season that we\u2019re in, and it\u2019s not the first time I\u2019ve seen my name,\u201d Laureano said.<\/p>\n
If interest was high in him before, the power he displayed during a four-game series in Cleveland may only elevate it. The performances of late also showcase how far Laureano has come in a short time.<\/p>\n
In 38 home games as a member of the Guardians in 2023 and 2024, Laureano hit two home runs. In four games during this visit as an Oriole, the 31-year-old blasted three. <\/p>\n
Before the series, Laureano\u2019s former teammate and manager Stephen Vogt joked that he wished Laureano would \u201ctake it easy\u201d against Cleveland. He didn\u2019t, and Vogt wasn\u2019t surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cRam\u00f3n Laureano is a very, very good player,\u201d said Vogt, who played with Laureano in 2022 with the Oakland Athletics before becoming his manager in 2024. \u201cI\u2019ve known that for a long time and seen it with my own eyes, and I\u2019m just really happy for him. \u2026 Seeing Ram\u00f3n doing well again is a really good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ram\u00f3n Laureano hits a two-run home run during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians on July 24. (Nick Cammett\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n