Hunting the fastball will be key for Connor Joe in 2025
(AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)
Connor Joe needs to hunt the fastball to succeed with the San Diego Padres in 2025.
The San Diego Padres added Connor Joe to their roster last week.
Joe is a native of San Diego and is regarded as a great teammate. The right-handed hitter went to Poway High School and also attended the University of San Diego, where he was selected in the first round (39th overall) of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He is represented by the JBA (John Boggs Agency) out of San Diego—the same representative who worked with Tony Gwynn for 30 years. Joe is a San Diegan, through and through. It is safe to say that he will be a fan favorite as he attempts to ignite his career in his hometown.
The man with a golden smile was dealt away from the Pirates in 2017 as a minor leaguer, but the Bucs re-acquired him in late 2022, and he spent the last few years back with the Pirates. The 32-year-old is a five-year veteran who owns a career .728 OPS in 1,375 at-bats. He slugged 35 homers in that time and produced a .337 OBP.
The Padres are looking for Connor Joe to contribute on the field at multiple positions in 2025.
He will likely see time at first base and in left field. The team may also roll him out at the DH position if they are facing a lefty on the mound.
Throughout his career, Joe has owned better numbers against southpaws. He’s recorded a .766 OPS lifetime in the majors against lefties compared to a .705 OPS against right-handed pitchers. He has also slugged better and gotten on base at a better clip while facing left-handed pitchers.
In examining his numbers, you see a glaring issue.
Connor Joe simply cannot hit the slider. Or at least he hasn’t so far in his career. If a pitcher hangs one, Joe has had success, recording 11 homers on the pitch in 362 at-bats. But the pitch, spinning in the lower half of the zone, has been death to his production.
He owns a lifetime .182 batting average against the slider and has struck out 168 times against breaking pitches. The splitter has also been an issue for Joe, as he owns a .174 average against the pitch. Both, the slider and splitter are pitches that are designed to look like a fastball until the last second. If a pitcher throws these selections down in the zone, they will get Connor Joe out.
It will come down to spin recognition and plate awareness for Joe to succeed in 2025. Knowledge is half the key to success in the game of baseball. The information is out there; you just need to find it. The right-handed hitter will need to improve his eye at the plate and recognize spin. His numbers will improve if he can swing at the pitch solely when left up in the zone.
That is because Connor Joe owns a career .288 average and has slugged at a .449 clip against fastballs.
He crushes the pitch and does his most damage against sinker ball pitchers, where he has hit .309 throughout his major league career. Hunting that pitch should boost his overall numbers. A lot of this is easier said than done. It is easy to fall back on bad habits. Adjusting is what makes good players great.
The Padres have faith that Joe can find his swing in San Diego. Barreling up fastballs will be a key to it.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.