Tweaked Swing Pays Off For Bradley Zimmer

Bradley Zimmer (Photo by Diamond Images)

Outfielder Bradley Zimmer was sitting in an ice bath after a game with Triple-A Columbus when he was told that manager Chris Tremie wanted to see him in his office.

“When I went to his office he shook my hand and said, ‘Congratulations, you’re going to the big leagues,’ ” Zimmer said. “It’s hard to put into words that feeling I had. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Zimmer’s systematic climb through the system, which began as a first-round pick from San Francisco in 2014, culminated with his May 16 callup. Indians manager Terry Francona inserted him into the lineup in center field that day against the Rays.

When he got the call to report to Cleveland, the lefthanded-batting Zimmer was hitting .294/.371/.532 with five home runs and nine stolen bases in 33 games.

But the Indians are as excited about Zimmer’s defense as they are his bat.

“We view him as a center fielder,” Francona said of Zimmer, who also played right field in the minors.

“He’s an above-average defender,” Francona said. “He can run down balls out there, and as he gets to know the league he’ll get even better.”

The Indians’ center field position had been in a state of flux this season, with Tyler Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall, Austin Jackson, Abraham Almonte and Dan Robertson all starting games.

Zimmer struck out three times in his major league debut, but in his second game he picked up his first major league hit, a double, and first home run.

Zimmer credits his early success to changing his setup and swing path, which he did after last season, when he hit .250 in 130 games at Double-A Akron and Columbus and struck out 31 percent of the time.

Zimmer narrowed the setup of his feet and opened his stance slightly. These tweaks allowed for an improved bat path that stayed in the hitting zone longer.