Entering
2002, Casey suffered a set-back after two brilliant seasons in 2000
and 2001. He average dropped dramatically as did his homerun production.
Some think it's his fundamentals that have gone to shit due to heavily
bulking up, some thinks it's due to his not playing as much, some
think both. All players though know that he can play at very high
levels, and proceed with caution.
He's capable
of huge things with a bat, but his increase in bulk may be hurting.
He had problems getting the ball off the ground in 2002. He chases
pitches sometimes (especially high ones), but still makes good contact.
He's often overly aggressive at the plate, which sometimes helps
but also hurts as much if not more. He claims to not be seeing the
ball as well, and states he will be batting with a more open stance
in 2003.
He's not the
smartest pitcher in the league, but pure talent puts him in the
upper echalon and makes him dominant. He seems to have no knowledge
of opposing hitters or how to pitch them, but his 5+ pitch arsenal
(all of which are effective) completely runs that point moot. If
he learned how not to pitch certain hitters (namely Carmichael),
he'd be a Cy Young candidate year in and year out, if not a unanimous
winner. Just nasty stuff.
Despite the
bulk he's put on, he's still very quick and can get to balls others
can't. Once in awhile he'll make a mental error, but few would argue
that he can field with the best of them. |
