Williamsport Crosscutters coach Kenny Thomas discusses hitting success, coaching style
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When it comes to his coaching style, Williamsport Crosscutters hitting coach Kenny Thomas considers himself old school, hardwired through his 34 years of coaching experience to focus on the little things.
That kind of mentality works wonders in a league like the MLB Draft League, a league that's primary goal is to fine tune capable athletes in hopes of getting them noticed by the big leagues. Thomas's goal is to help the team win games while his players garner notice, choosing to step in where he deems fit.
"If the wheel on the car is turning as you go down the road, let's not take it off. Let's leave it on there and keep rolling," said Thomas when discussing his mentality. "Most of these guys have come here with some type of approach. We don't want to change that approach. We just want to be able to adjust it a little bit and help them realize that a little something there will help."
"I watch the little things, like where your feet are, how your stance is, where your trigger position is and how your hip rotation is. Just little things that can help you," he added.
It's a mentality that's played a big role in the team's success from the plate. Throughout the first half of the season, the Crosscutters have stood at the top of the league in almost every hitting category.
As it stands, they lead the league in batting average (.266), slugging percentage (.353) and OPS (.740) and sit .001 behind State College in on-base percentage (.387). Its success there is a big reason the team has been able to win games at will, heading into the second-to-last week of the season's first half with a 14-6 record.
"I think we've gotten better as the season has gone on," said Thomas. "The guys work hard every day, and we take quality swings and batting practice, and that's really important. I've been very pleased with the way they've swung the bat."
It helps to have guys come in and immediately prosper.
Since joining the roster after the team's first series, shortstop Carter Dorighi has been one of the best hitters in the entire league, ranking second in batting average (.397), hits (31) and doubles (seven) and third in OPS (.947) and slugging percentage (.500).
He's really come alive in recent weeks, with his batting average steadily approaching .400, and has consistently provided a spark as the team's leadoff batter. And guys like Riley Nelson, Eric Rataczak, Zane Becker and Jackson Mayo have all stepped us as well, each posting on OPS above .750.
"We have a lot of talent but that doesn't mean you can't learn and get better every day. It's fun to work with guys that are talented and just make little adjustments and watch them," said Thomas.
"I've coached a whole lot of games, so in the game, I can think of things that might help us. But the biggest thing I want is to help these guys meet their goals, become better players and help them understand the game. That's very important to me."
Whenever he has helped a player make an adjustment in his first season with the team, he's been impressed with their willingness to listen and immediately adapt their game. An example came early in the season when he moved first baseman Riley Nelson off the plate and opened up his stance a fraction.
"I made one little adjustment with him early in the season and he bought into it. He's just worked hard. He's a pure hitter and that one adjustment made him even better, and I think he's got a real future ahead of him," said Thomas on Nelson. "There's a lot of guys that have shown so much. They've learned that repetition and committing to the routine is important."
There's still work to be done, as pitching within the league continues to progress and the team looks to protect its lead in the league standings. But Thomas believes in his guys, their talent and their ability to adapt and looks forward to seeing what they accomplish at the end of this season and beyond.
Like pitching coach Anthony Markle, who's almost midway through his second season with the team, he sees the end of the first half as bittersweet. He anticipates seeing some of his players get drafted come mid-July but knows he'll miss them despite their short time together.
"These guys leave us in two weeks, and we get a whole new roster. I really love these guys and I've built great relationships with them, so I'm going to hate to see them change over," expressed Thomas. "But we've got to keep going and try to win this first half."
Nonetheless, he's had a great experience coaching with the team so far and looks forward to the future.