Kyren Paris visited Aaron Judge’s swing coach and it’s paying off

PEORIA, Ariz. — Kyren Paris got his second taste of Major League Baseball last season and it was another challenging stint. He hit just .118 with a .440 OPS. Something needed to change.

As Paris sat in the dugout on days when he wasn’t in the lineup, he paid close attention to the hitters in the batter's box and took notes. Out of all the players Paris watched, one of them stood out to him.

“I really liked watching Aaron Judge,” Paris said. “He was one of my favorites to watch. Just how simple his move was and that's something that I kind of emulated.”

Paris liked what he saw so much that he decided to go to St. Louis, Missouri to work with Judge’s personal hitting coach, Richard Schenck. Schenck, known as “Teacherman” on social media, is a polarizing figure in the baseball world because of his unorthodox drills and hitting philosophies. But for Paris, it worked.

“His biggest thing is being ready at release from the pitcher,” Paris said. “So basically just being on time, more consistent and making your swing as efficient as possible to the ball.”

If you watch Paris’ swing today, you can see the resemblance to Judge. Comparing Paris’ swing to last season, his front foot is more open with his heel in the air at all times before he starts his swing, his leg kick hovers in the air longer and he now finishes his swing with one hand on the bat instead of two. 

“He's able to stay on the ball a lot more, he's not pulling off the ball,” manager Ron Washington said. 

Last Year:

This year:

The early returns of the swing adjustments have been good for Paris. Through his first seven spring training games, he’s hitting .357 with a 1.043 OPS and a home run.

“The swing changes gave me the confidence, knowing that I'm putting myself in the position to have success and it's definitely showing out on the field,” Paris said.

Confidence is the thing that Washington is happiest with Paris this spring. Washington said there are still areas that Paris needs to continue to get better at, but he likes how Paris isn’t intimidated on the field like last season. 

Washington mentioned that the area he wants Paris to get better at is his decision-making defensively. The decisions that he’s referencing are being in the right place and going to the right base, but those are things that Washington believes will come through getting more experience. 

The Angels and Paris are hoping these swing adjustments will help him have a bounce-back season, as the 2019 second-round pick also struggled mightily in the minors last season. He hit .091 with a .328 OPS in 23 games in Double-A and .209 with a .646 OPS in 37 Triple-A games. 

Paris’ goal this year is to make an impact on the big league roster, and his new swing and confidence are helping him take steps toward that goal.

“He's a totally different kid,” Washington said. “You can see the confidence. There's still some growth that he has to gain, especially on the defensive end. But we always knew he could swing the bat. He's making better contact this spring and he's looking better. He's just looking more confident in the way he goes about his business. Now he doesn't feel like he does not belong. He feels like he does belong.”