Marcus Deyo is widely considered the most deadly offensive weapon in the JAL, and for good reason — the man is the reigning back-to-back winner of the Batting Crown. But what is it that makes him so good? After all, at 5-foot-6 the top of the strike zone is nearly level with his chin...
1. Quick wrists
Deyo may be small, but he's not slow... At all. It's arguable that nobody in the game has ever been faster getting the bat around their body.
2. Ball Striking
If you've ever watched Deyo play you may have noticed that whenever he makes contact, he makes SOLID contact. Deyo rarely pops up or hits a grounder because his precision with the bat is so good that most every time he gets a hold of the ball he gets a hold of 100% of it. In addition to that, he usually manages to strike the ball with the meat of the bat's barrel.
3. Discipline
You can't "catch Deyo reaching" very often. He knows he's talented enough to swing outside the zone and still make some plays, but he doesn't get suckered into low percentage attempts. Deyo makes you pitch to him because he knows sometimes you're better off just intentionally walking him.
