MLB · 7 months ago

5 Players Who Should Give Up on Switch-Hitting: De La Cruz, Rutschman & More

SportsGrid Contributor Just Baseball

Host · Writer

Adley Rutschman
Career Splits:
- vs. RHP: .247 AVG / .336 OBP / .408 SLG / .743 OPS / 112 OPS+
- vs. LHP: .283 AVG / .376 OBP / .433 SLG / .809 OPS / 133 OPS+
Before you grab your pitchforks — no, Adley Rutschman is not broken. However, his numbers have trended downward since his stellar rookie campaign, and in 2025, he has struggled to find consistency. Injuries haven’t helped; a left oblique strain recently paused a season that was already showing troubling signs.

While Rutschman is still performing well against lefties this year (123 wRC+), his production versus right-handed pitching — which makes up the bulk of his at-bats — has dipped to a 90 wRC+. That’s below league average and unusual for a hitter of his caliber. It’s too early to ring the alarm, but if he continues to look sluggish from the left side after returning from injury, narrowing his focus to the right side could help stabilize his swing and get him back to his All-Star form.

The post Five Players Who Should Really Just Give Up on Switch-Hitting appeared first on Just Baseball.
Not Every Switch-Hitter Should Be One
Switch-hitting is often treated as a rare and valuable skill — the ability to hit from both sides of the plate theoretically gives batters a built-in advantage regardless of the pitcher. But for some players, the switch-hitting label may be doing more harm than good. When one side of the plate consistently underperforms and becomes a statistical sinkhole, it’s worth questioning whether sticking to a single side might unlock better overall production.

In recent years, players like Cedric Mullins and Shane Victorino proved that abandoning the switch-hitter identity can lead to noticeable improvements. Below, we examine five current switch-hitters who might benefit from making that same decision.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.
Ozzie Albies
Career Splits:
- vs. RHP: .245 AVG / .309 OBP / .430 SLG / .739 OPS / 95 wRC+
- vs. LHP: .327 AVG / .353 OBP / .540 SLG / .893 OPS / 136 wRC+
Ozzie Albies has long been a focal point in the switch-hitter debate. His numbers are respectable from both sides — until you compare them side-by-side. Against lefties, he’s been elite; against right-handers, he's fine, but not exceptional. When he returned from a wrist injury late last season, Albies hit exclusively right-handed — even against righties — and posted a .724 OPS in a small sample. That raised eyebrows.

This season has been a strange outlier: he’s struggling across the board, with a worse wRC+ against lefties than righties — a career-first. That said, his consistent dominance against southpaws suggests his right-handed swing is more natural and productive. While not urgent, dropping the lefty swing could be a calculated step forward for Albies if the current funk continues.

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Elly De La Cruz
Career Splits:
- vs. RHP: .275 AVG / .352 OBP / .516 SLG / .868 OPS / 130 wRC+
- vs. LHP: .214 AVG / .281 OBP / .342 SLG / .622 OPS / 67 wRC+
There’s no denying Elly De La Cruz’s star power. He’s one of the most exciting young players in baseball and already looks like a future MVP candidate. But even the brightest stars can have holes in their game — and for Elly, it’s his production from the right side of the plate against left-handed pitching.

His 67 career wRC+ against lefties is shockingly low, especially when compared to his stellar 130 mark against righties. While this year has seen modest improvement (up to 80 wRC+ vs LHP), it's still 20% below league average. If he abandoned the right-handed swing and focused on hitting solely from the left side, his overall numbers might jump even higher. The raw tools are there; refining the approach could unlock another level of potential.
Jasson Dominguez
Career Splits:
- vs. RHP: .268 AVG / .353 OBP / .474 SLG / .826 OPS / 132 wRC+
- vs. LHP: .179 AVG / .288 OBP / .263 SLG / .551 OPS / 62 wRC+
Jasson Dominguez, once dubbed “The Martian” for his otherworldly potential, is finally getting consistent big-league reps. But even in this early stage of his career, the splits are glaring. His production against right-handed pitching has been excellent, while his bat looks completely overmatched against lefties.

As a young player, there's a risk in asking Dominguez to drop switch-hitting this early — it removes some matchup flexibility and development time. But the difference is hard to ignore. If he's going to keep the switch-hitter label, he’ll need to put serious work into his right-handed swing. Otherwise, ditching it could accelerate his rise.
Jonah Heim
Career Splits:
- vs. RHP: .217 AVG / .274 OBP / .361 SLG / .635 OPS / 76 wRC+
- vs. LHP: .264 AVG / .310 OBP / .441 SLG / .751 OPS / 108 wRC+
Jonah Heim’s offensive surge in 2023 raised hopes that he could become a fixture behind the plate for Texas. But the shine has faded. Now in his second straight below-average season, Heim’s production from the left side continues to drag him down. His splits suggest a more natural feel as a right-handed hitter, with better contact, power, and overall value.

This year’s numbers have flipped a bit, with his wRC+ against lefties dipping, but the long-term trend still favors a single-sided approach. His plate discipline is similar from both sides, so the real difference is in his impact contact. If Heim wants to regain his power-hitting form, narrowing his focus at the plate might help him do just that.

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Adley Rutschman
Career Splits:
- vs. RHP: .247 AVG / .336 OBP / .408 SLG / .743 OPS / 112 OPS+
- vs. LHP: .283 AVG / .376 OBP / .433 SLG / .809 OPS / 133 OPS+
Before you grab your pitchforks — no, Adley Rutschman is not broken. However, his numbers have trended downward since his stellar rookie campaign, and in 2025, he has struggled to find consistency. Injuries haven’t helped; a left oblique strain recently paused a season that was already showing troubling signs.

While Rutschman is still performing well against lefties this year (123 wRC+), his production versus right-handed pitching — which makes up the bulk of his at-bats — has dipped to a 90 wRC+. That’s below league average and unusual for a hitter of his caliber. It’s too early to ring the alarm, but if he continues to look sluggish from the left side after returning from injury, narrowing his focus to the right side could help stabilize his swing and get him back to his All-Star form.

The post Five Players Who Should Really Just Give Up on Switch-Hitting appeared first on Just Baseball.
Not Every Switch-Hitter Should Be One
Switch-hitting is often treated as a rare and valuable skill — the ability to hit from both sides of the plate theoretically gives batters a built-in advantage regardless of the pitcher. But for some players, the switch-hitting label may be doing more harm than good. When one side of the plate consistently underperforms and becomes a statistical sinkhole, it’s worth questioning whether sticking to a single side might unlock better overall production.

In recent years, players like Cedric Mullins and Shane Victorino proved that abandoning the switch-hitter identity can lead to noticeable improvements. Below, we examine five current switch-hitters who might benefit from making that same decision.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.

5 Players Who Should Give Up on Switch-Hitting: De La Cruz, Rutschman & More

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