The Notes: Adolis Garcia’s Approach and Big Bad Jon Bowlan’s Usage
Change is good
May 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) takes the ball from relief pitcher Jonathan Bowlan (52) against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Does a one-pitch homer count as a sequence for anyone? It’s a fair question but bending the rules is ok.
What’s also ok is what Adolis Garcia is doing at the plate. The results haven’t been flashy and the underlying stuff is just fine. He is hitting the ball harder but is also not pulling the ball as much, which generally suppresses overall numbers.
But there are real changes that have be made to his approach. He has sort of cheated his way into newfound plate discipline by simply swinging less in general. His zone-swing rate is down 5.
6% but he cut his chase down 6%. Over three-fourths of his at bats start with a take, and he has been swinging less at the best kind of pitches to hit. In the aggregate, these have led to productive changes that should allow for a solid season.