Guardians discuss difficulty of pinch-hitting as CJ Kayfus delivers

CLEVELAND — Many players will say that hitting a baseball thrown by a major league pitcher is the single toughest thing to do in all of sports. But that might only be half correct. Doing so as a pinch-hitter, or in a non-regular role that requires coming off the bench in spurts to produce hits, might eclipse it in difficulty.

It's what many hitters around the league must do if they're in any sort of bench or platoon role, often patiently waiting their turn and knowing only a handful of at-bats might be coming their way. It can be a struggle to truly stay ready like an everyday player who can get into more of a rhythm. It can definitely be a struggle to not try to do too much with the limited opportunities you're afforded, which can be a dangerous mindset to fall into for a hitter.

CJ Kayfus isn't only not in an everyday role, he's the type of hitter of which the Guardians have the most abundance: left-handed hitting outfielders. The Guardians have so many they don't even really know what to do with them all, which means Kayfus and several others when healthy know there's plenty of competition. Manager Stephen Vogt found himself in such a role at times as a player and has been able to pass along some sage advice for how to handle it.

"Think the best advice I got was from [former outfielder] Sam Fuld," Vogt said. "He said, 'No one's expecting you to go get a hit in that situation. It's the hardest thing to do.