WATCH: Dustin Kelly on key mechanical changes for PCA, Amaya |
Tony Crumpton
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- Thu Feb 13 11:30:02 GMT-05:00 2025
Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly joined Elise Menaker and Kelly offered a hitting demo on the swing and mechanical adjustments made from players like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya.
Watch the interview below: Video summary/cliff-notes: 00:00-00:29 – Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly discusses minor yet significant swing changes for young players like Pete Crow-Armstrong (PCA) and Miguel Amaya, emphasizing that adjustments are more of a work in progress than fixes. 00:29-01:21 – PCA struggled with controlling the batter’s box and zone, so they introduced a leg kick to slow the game down for him. The adjustment started as a drill in Kansas City and helped him stay grounded and maintain balance. 01:21-01:48 – His previous setup was narrow, causing him to push the ball out in front and lose control. The leg kick allowed him to stay stacked on his backside, giving him more time to see pitches. 01:48-02:42 – The team also worked on PCA’s hand positioning, flattening the bat angle slightly for better barrel control. The change helped him stay direct to the ball and avoid missing underneath pitches. 03:07-03:55 – Pitch selection was another focus; in a "bucket drill," PCA learned to avoid swinging at low breaking balls. This helped him hit two home runs in a game against St. Louis, proving the effectiveness of the adjustment. 04:23-04:50 – Miguel Amaya’s adjustment was different—he originally had a leg kick but struggled with velocity. Instead of adding movement, they widened his stance to improve stability and timing. 05:18-05:48 – By reducing his leg kick to a simple heel lift, Amaya could stay in his legs better. This also helped quiet his upper body mechanics, leading to improved performance. 05:48-06:11 – Both PCA and Amaya were highly coachable and successfully implemented the changes, showing that while the coaching staff provides ideas, the players deserve credit for executing them. 06:11-End – Kelly emphasizes the unseen hard work these players put in to make improvements and achieve results on the field.
