{"id":663667,"date":"2026-04-05T00:04:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T00:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/663667\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T00:04:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T00:04:37","slug":"torey-lovullo-says-diamondbacks-need-to-stop-chasing-pitches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/663667\/","title":{"rendered":"Torey Lovullo says Diamondbacks need to stop chasing pitches"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX \u2014 The Arizona Diamondbacks scored three runs over their last three games entering Saturday, and manager Torey Lovullo was clear on what has to improve from a team perspective.<\/p>\n

Clearly there are individuals off to slow starts, but teamwide, Lovullo needs to see his team stop chasing pitches out of the strike zone.<\/p>\n

The Diamondbacks have swung at nearly a third of pitches out of the zone through eight games (33%), the fifth highest clip in Major League Baseball, according to Statcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is an area of the game where Arizona thrived in 2023 and 2024 (less than 27%) but was middle of the pack last year. It is very early, but this is an issue that is not sustainable.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur chase rate is extremely high right now,\u201d Lovullo said. \u201cIf we zone in, try not to do too much, wait for our pitch, it\u2018s the art of hitting and the beauty of baseball. When you do it, it\u2019s sweet music.\u00a0When you chase, you get yourself into bad counts.<\/p>\n

\u201cPitchers have nasty stuff. You\u2019ve got to slow the game down, swing at strikes, see the baseball,\u00a0understand what the at-bat is asking for.\u00a0That\u2019s the simplicity of hitting for me.\u00a0We\u2019re a little bit anxious trying to do too much, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

By contrast, the Diamondbacks\u2019 62% swing rate on pitches in the zone is the third lowest in baseball, which is closer to standard for this team.<\/p>\n

Lovullo said that other than Geraldo Perdomo, chase rates are up essentially across the board. Alek Thomas had the eighth highest in MLB entering Saturday, while Nolan Arenado, Gabriel Moreno and Carlos Santana were among the top 50.<\/p>\n

The Diamondbacks are not even among the league leaders in swings-and-misses, but they are making contact with most of their chase swings. This is preventing them from barreling up the baseball in ways they have in the recent past.<\/p>\n

After getting shut out on Friday by the Atlanta Braves<\/a>, Arizona\u2019s batting average dropped to .209 as a team with an on-base percentage of .275, which is problematic for a team that does not have the same slug capabilities as the previous couple seasons.<\/p>\n

Chasing less won\u2019t solve every problem with the lineup, but it is a recognizable fix for a team that typically prides itself on grinding out at-bats and getting on base.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been challenged to score some runs this year, no doubt about it,\u201d Lovullo said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to figure that out.\u00a0We\u2019ve got great hitting coaches.\u00a0They\u2019ve got a proven track record. They\u2019re going to figure it out with the boys.\u00a0The boys are working their butts off.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Friday\u2019s game, Lovullo said there are some core guys who have yet to get going, saying it was a matter of time.<\/p>\n

Ketel Marte (.532 OPS), Perdomo (.683) and Moreno (.519) are in that camp of difference-makers the club expects to heat up.<\/p>\n

Follow @alexjweiner<\/a><\/p>\n

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