To the extent that the time period really is sensible, Garrett Cooper may greatest be described as knowledgeable hitter. Consistently stable but by no means a star, the 32-year-old first baseman/DH has slashed .272/.341/.444 with a 116 wRC+ since turning into a mainstay within the Miami Marlins lineup in 2019. Establishing himself took time.
Selected within the sixth spherical of the 2013 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Auburn University, Cooper was subsequently swapped to the Yankees in July 2017 — he made his large league debut a day after being dealt — solely to have New York flip him to the Fish that November. Six years later, the Los Angeles-area native is firmly ensconced in Miami as a middle-of-the-order cog on an up-and-coming staff.
Cooper mentioned his evolution as a hitter when the Marlins visited Fenway Park in late June.
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David Laurila: Let’s begin along with your childhood within the sport. How did you be taught to hit?
Garrett Cooper: “I grew up in a household the place I used to be the infant of seven children and had 4 older brothers who performed baseball. That actually helped, and my dad additionally paid for hitting classes, most likely two or 3 times every week beginning after I was 9-10 years outdated.
“I performed on a journey staff in Manhattan Beach, California, and issues simply sort of progressed from there. I went to an all-boys Catholic college the place we had a whole lot of good baseball gamers. Steve Selsky, who performed for the Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds, was in class with me; he grew up 5-10 minutes from the place I grew up. Once I bought to highschool, it changed into ‘How can I perfect a craft while also playing other sports?’
“I also played basketball and football growing up, which is different from today’s game. A lot of kids now concentrate on just one sport; they just play baseball year round. If I were to go back in time, I think I’d maybe concentrate more on baseball.”
Laurila: Some folks really feel the alternative is preferable, that children are higher served by enjoying a number of sports rising up.
Cooper: “I mean, maybe so. But looking back, I think baseball year round would have helped me development-wise. I was always a good hitter, but starting with freshman year of high school, my swing has probably developed five million different ways. I used to think leg kicks were the way to go. In high school, I played in a division with Giancarlo Stanton and a lot of guys were high picks. Our high school league, the Mission League, had a bunch of guys go to places like Oregon, UCLA, and USC.”
Laurila: You performed towards Giancarlo Stanton in highschool.
Cooper: “Yes. He went to Notre Dame, in Sherman Oaks. I’m a yr youthful, and we performed one another in basketball and soccer, too. He really had a three-sport scholarship to USC. But seeing the extent of expertise in our highschool league made me understand how far more work I needed to do exactly to play faculty baseball. I noticed that there have been so many issues I needed to do to be a greater baseball participant.
“With development as a hitter, the more practice, the more reps, the more lessons, the more swing changes… in today’s game, there is so much more video. There are all these places you can go to break down a big league hitter’s swing. When you’re trying to emulate… my favorite player growing up was Troy Glaus, with the Angels. I tried to emulate his swing. It was a upright stance and a little bit of leg kick. I always felt like I was a smart baseball player. I was smart in general. I was a bookworm. I had a high GPA, a high SAT, a high ACT score. I think that analyzing my swing, maybe even overanalyzing it, from a young age helped contribute to my success.”
Laurila: When did you begin analyzing your swing?
Cooper: “Maybe after I was round 14? But the development for each hitter… I feel that from age 12 to 30 you’ll change one thing each single day. You’ll change pitch to pitch, at-bat to at-bat. You may go from a leg kick to a toe faucet to no stride. There have been so many issues I did that put me in a greater place as I bought older and the competitors bought higher.
“I initially went to [El Camino Community College] because I didn’t want to sit on the bench at one of the D-I schools in California. Then I got to Auburn. Link Jarrett was the hitting guy when I first got there — he’s the head coach at [Florida State] now — and Gabe Gross, who played seven years in the big leagues, came in when Link left to be head coach at UNC Greensboro. I think Gabe and Link probably had the most significant impact on me developmentally as a hitter. There was just so much they broke down, and at a minuscule level. There were things I’d never really thought of in a way that an ex-major leaguer would. With Gabe, there was always a small tweak, whereas I maybe though something bigger was needed.”
Laurila: Can you give any examples?
Cooper: “Hand placement was one. Just beginning a bit bit greater or a bit bit decrease. I’d had a decrease hand slot in highschool, and after I bought to varsity my palms bought a bit greater. Gabe would implement methods for my barrel path to get higher. How my hips would transfer… take away the hip-sliding and getting a bit bit out in entrance.
“There have been so many good pitchers within the SEC. I used to be going through guys like Kevin Gausman and Aaron Nola, so listening to somebody who performed within the large leagues, him breaking down a swing, breaking down the trail of the place your barrel ought to begin, the place you wish to be at contact, the place your hips wish to be once you make your transfer ahead… issues like that.
“I hit with a leg kick in faculty, then went to a no-stride — sort of how I hit now — and to a toe. Getting drafted by the Brewers, they sort of simply let me be, as a result of I’d had a lot success in faculty. They didn’t actually say a lot when it comes to making an attempt to vary something. Plenty of organizations attempt to change a hitter once they get into professional ball, as a result of they assume it’s the easiest way to hit, or perhaps it has labored for different guys. I sort of self-trained my approach by way of the minor leagues and into the large leagues.
“I’m my biggest critic. I’ve gone through a lot of different hitting coaches that have helped — my coaches this year have helped — but you listen to so many different thoughts and processes, and they basically all come to the same conclusion. They just say it in different terms. There are a lot of ways to explain things to a young hitter, but how do you explain it to him the best?”
Laurila: Do you ever overthink on the plate?
Cooper: “Maybe I sometimes outsmart the pitcher with how I would get myself out — what I’d throw in this zone, or in this count — but sometimes I maybe outsmart myself. I’ve taken some pitches where I should have done damage, because I’ve overthought how they would attack me.”
Laurila: What has been your most notable change since coming to Miami?
Cooper: “It would probably be going from the leg lift back to the toe tap. Being 6-5, 240, I don’t need to have such a big move to hit for power. I made that change in about 2018-2019. That’s kind of been the biggest thing for me, going back to the toe.”
Laurila: Any remaining ideas?
Cooper: “I’m always trying to stay inside the ball. I’m always trying to hit the big part of the field. I haven’t been a guy who dead pulls homers. Staying through the middle of the field is what leads to me having the most success.”
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Earlier “Talks Hitting” interviews can discovered by way of these hyperlinks: Jo Adell, Jeff Albert, Greg Allen, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Bates, Jacob Berry, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Charlie Blackmon, JJ Bleday, Bobby Bradley, Will Brennan, Jay Bruce, Matt Chapman, Michael Chavis, Gavin Cross, Jacob Cruz, Nelson Cruz, Paul DeJong, Josh Donaldson, Brendan Donovan, Donnie Ecker, Rick Eckstein, Drew Ferguson, Justin Foscue, Michael Fransoso, Ryan Fuller, Joey Gallo, Paul Goldschmidt, Devlin Granberg, Andy Haines, Mitch Haniger, Robert Hassell III, Nico Hoerner, Rhys Hoskins, Eric Hosmer, Tim Hyers, Connor Joe, Josh Jung, Jimmy Kerr, Heston Kjerstad, Steven Kwan, Trevor Larnach, Doug Latta, Evan Longoria, Michael Lorenzen, Gavin Lux, Dave Magadan, Trey Mancini, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Hunter Mense, Owen Miller, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Daniel Murphy, Lars Nootbaar, Logan O’Hoppe, Vinnie Pasquantino, Luke Raley, Brent Rooker, Drew Saylor, Marcus Semien, Giancarlo Stanton, Spencer Steer, Trevor Story, Fernando Tatis Jr., Spencer Torkelson, Mark Trumbo, Justin Turner, Trea Turner, Josh VanMeter, Robert Van Scoyoc, Chris Valaika, Zac Veen, Alex Verdugo, Mark Vientos, Matt Vierling, Luke Voit, Anthony Volpe, Joey Votto, Christian Walker, Jared Walsh, Jordan Westburg, Jesse Winker, Mike Yastrzemski, Nick Yorke, Kevin Youkilis
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