Bethancourt's change in approach keys HR surge

CLEVELAND -- Two weeks ago, it was hard to fathom a scenario in which Christian Bethancourt would make it through the season with the A’s, let alone emerge as their hottest hitter.

At that point, Bethancourt was slashing just .224/.283/.294 through 48 games played. Versatility as a catcher who could also play first base kept him around, but with a similarly multi-positional player in Stephen Vogt nearing the end of his Minor League rehab, there was a strong chance Bethancourt would soon be the odd man out on Oakland’s active roster.

Sensing an adjustment was necessary to get his bat going, Bethancourt took a risk by making a concerted effort to hit the ball in the air more. Two weeks later, that tweak has led to one of the more impressive offensive tears by an A’s hitter this season, which continued in Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Guardians at Progressive Field, as Bethancourt finished 2-for-4 with a double and home run.

Bethancourt’s decision to change his approach came prior to the A’s May 28 contest against the Rangers at the Coliseum. He saw immediate results that day with two hits, which at the time was just his fifth multi-hit effort of the season. Capping a four-game series in Cleveland by going 9-for-17 with three doubles and three homers – the nine hits being the most in a single series against the Guardians this season – Bethancourt is now 13-for-34 (.382) with four homers, four doubles and seven RBIs over his last 10 games.

“Obviously, he’s seeing the baseball really well,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Bethancourt. “He’s been pretty consistent with taking good at-bats all year. He doesn’t walk a ton, but he seems to have pretty good bat-to-ball skills, and now the power is starting to show up.”

Bethancourt was always smacking the ball with a ton of force. He ranked in the 80th percentile of Major League hitters in max exit velocity at the time of his adjustment. The issue was that most of his balls in play were constantly being driven into the ground. After examining his swing, Bethancourt discovered he was getting on top of the ball, so the change at the plate was mainly trying to get more underneath it for better elevation.

“I started working on that about two weeks ago,” Bethancourt said. “Trying to change my line-drive perspective from low line drives and ground balls to more trying to get the ball in the gaps and, potentially, homers.”

Of course, Bethancourt was aware of the dangers that come with such an approach.

“You try to get the ball in the air, that means you’re gonna strike out a little more,” said Bethancourt. “If you try to hit the ball hard to the ground, you’re gonna get more contact.”

Weighing the risk/reward factor when first toying with the idea, Bethancourt decided to stick to it. Gaining confidence in the new approach was also helped by the fact that only a few days after making the change, the catcher/first baseman crushed a dramatic go-ahead home run off Justin Verlander for what was his first Major League home run in nearly six years.

“After getting that home run, it’s like, ‘OK, maybe this works,’” Bethancourt said. “I also had a strikeout that game. Those are the pros and cons you take. Still the same, see the ball, recognize, get a good pitch, and try to hit it hard. I just changed to be not so much on top of the ball.”

When the A’s signed Bethancourt to a Minor League deal last December, they knew how well his bat produced with Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate in 2021, as he batted .281 with 14 homers and 18 doubles over 92 games. Shortly after he showed up to Spring Training as a non-roster invite, coaches and teammates marveled at the impressive power he routinely displayed in batting practice.

It took a couple of months, but Bethancourt’s power tool is finally showing up where it counts. The recent success has led to an established everyday spot in the middle of the order.

“That’s the hitter that we’ve seen and expected when we had him in spring,” said A’s starting pitcher Cole Irvin. “He’s seeing the ball well. He’s not getting out of his plan. He’s driving balls over the fence, which is nice, but he’s also getting doubles and getting on base, which is what we need, too. He’s the full package. I’m happy for him.”

After struggling through a stint in Korea and limited opportunities with several big league organizations over the previous four years, Bethancourt is on his way to finding a more permanent situation with Oakland.