Maybe Braves shortstop Andreton Simmons should go ahead and skip the first two weeks of spring training next year considering it’s seemed to work for him this spring.
“I don’t know if I’m there yet,” Simmons said with a laugh. “Maybe in 15 years.”
Simmons sat out with a strained oblique but already appears to be in peak form since returning to the lineup on Thursday.
After going 3-for-3 with a home run and 3 RBIs against the Astros on Saturday Simmons is 5-for-9 in three spring games. The two-time Gold Glove winner also has looked sharp as always in the field.
Simmons said he’s not 100 percent but feels “really good” with his health.
“I did my work in the off season,” he said. “I got just enough swings. As soon as I was free to swing in the cages I took as many as I could without overdoing it, which I know how to do. I’ve got enough. I’m seeing the ball really well. I didn’t miss many pitches (Saturday).”
Simmons is looking to get on track offensively after his production dipped in 2014.
After hitting .248 with a .296 on-base percentage and slugging .396 in his first full-time season in the majors, Simmons was .244/.286/331 last season. His home-run percentage decreased by more than half as he hit seven in 576 plate appearances in 2014 after hitting 17 in 658 plate appearances in 2013.
New Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer said Simmons has “big-time pop” in his swing but that he has to change his approach to harness it. Seitzer and Simmons have worked on making Simmons’ swing more compact so as to give him more time to recognize pitches before committing and improve his consistency.
“He’s got great hands, great hand-eye coordination,” Seitzer said. “The biggest thing is keeping him on balance, keep him on his legs. He has a tendency to spin off and swing onto his heels. Just work everything back through the middle. He’s got real quick hands so he can get to inside pitches without being ready to get to inside pitches.”
Seitzer said before Simmons returned to the lineup he already was more consistent in batting practice and starting to “trust the process.”
Still, Seitzer said Simmons can get even more comfortable with his swing changes because he’s seeing immediate results in spring games.
“There is no better teaching tool than success,” Seitzer said.
