Burns' aggressive first-pitch attack working quite well for A's
Oakland Athletics rookie outfielder Billy Burns is both an excellent lead-off hitter and one that is too impatient at the plate.
Those who believe lead-off hitters should take as many pitches as possible might frown upon Burns' penchant for swinging at the first pitch.
However, Burns' ambush tactics are working. On Wednesday, he hit the very first pitch thrown by Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez over the wall in center field for a home run. This, from a hitter who really isn't supposed to be able to hit homers (it was his third this season with the A's).
MLB.com's Jane Lee pointed out that Burns has put the ball in play on the first pitch on 94 occasions (out of 437 plate appearances). What's more, he has collected 46 first-pitch hits, good for an amazing .489 batting average on the first offering.
Burns is hitting .298/.338/.392 for the A's in 2015 and would likely be a strong Rookie of the Year candidate were it not for Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros.
When asked about Burns' aggressiveness atop the lineup, manager Bob Melvin told Lee that he sometimes feels for the second-place hitter who has to be a bit more patient. That doesn't mean, however, that Burns will be altering his approach. Said Melvin: "It's not like the other teams don't know he swings at the first pitch. As long as he's having success and he's not going out of the zone and making first-pitch outs consistently, it's a strength."
As long as pitchers pump in first-pitch fastballs, expect Burns to take advantage as best he can.
