How did Gio Urshela Perform so Well Last Year?

Giovanny (Gio) Urshela was not a good hitter when he was playing for the Indians a couple years ago. Yet he managed to go from an unknown utility player to a Yankees fan favorite. How did he do it? And can he keep up his performance going forward? Let’s take a look.

Gio Urshela’s Unique Trade Story

Back in 2018, Gio Urshela was playing for the Indians when he found out he was traded to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later. During his time with the Indians he was back and forth between the majors and minors. When he was at the major league numbers, his numbers at the plate did not impress. He was not considered a major league hitter.

 Only one month after being traded to Toronto, Urshela was preparing for a minor league game against a Yankees affiliate when he was told he was traded to the Yankees. He took off his uniform and walked over to the Yankees affiliate’s clubhouse.

And what did the Blue Jays get for Urshela? Cash considerations, and while the exact cash value was never released, I can’t imagine it was anything significant. Nobody thought much more of Urshela than as a utility player with good defensive skill. Definitely not as an everyday player.

Urshela’s always been a reliable defender, but since the Yankees trade he’s also hit for average and power at the major league level. In 2019 he put up the best numbers of his career, a big surprise for the Yankees’ front office.

A Look at Urshela’s 2019 Performance

In 2019, Gio Urshela has a slash line of .314/.355/.534 (AVG/OBP/SLG) and hit 21 home runs, which is very good for a player whose specialty is defense. Look at the chart below and you’ll see how much of an improvement this was over previous years.

Even Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman was surprised by Urshela’s numbers. According to Yahoo Sports, Cashman had the following to say about Urshela’s performance:

“Nobody thought Gio would be this guy,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Yahoo Sports. “What he is doing now was not anything we felt we were tapping into.”

Courtesy of Yahoo Sports

High BABIP in 2019

Last season, Urshela’s BABIP was .349, significantly higher than his previous three seasons at the major league level. The best hitters in the league have a BABIP around .350 and maintain is over at least three seasons.

It’s important to note that 2019 was his first full season, so his BABIP needs more time to fully stabilize. However, the anomaly in Urshela’s BABIP still may be indicating he got a little lucky in 2019 with some hits. Especially since he was not expected by scouts to hit as well as he did last season. I would not be surprised if his BABIP for this season regresses.  

However, I do not expect it to regress all the way back down to where it was from 2015-2018. Urshela made adjustments to his swing that has allowed him to improve offensively.

Increased Hard Hit Percentage

An explanation for the higher BABIP can also be attributed to Gio Urshela hitting the ball harder than previous years. In 2019, his hard hit % (balls hit with an exit velocity greater than 95 mph) was 40.6%, up from 30.3% in 2018. That is a significant difference. The higher the exit velocity, the more likely the ball falls for a hit. The increase in hard hit % can be attributed to adjustments Urshela made to his swing.

Urshela also does not strike out (career 18% strikeout rate) or walk (career 5.4% walk rate) as much as other players.

Can he keep it up when baseball returns?

That is the big question. Even though Urshela performed well last season, if pitchers begin to pick up on his weakness he will need to make adjustments at the plate.

In 2019, Gio Urshela saw mostly fastballs and was very successful against them. His numbers start to deviate when he is exposed to breaking pitchers. Check out his SLG against hard, offspeed and breaking pitches below to see the difference. The most significant deviation in his SLG arises from the slider. I would expect pitchers to throw significantly more breaking pitches to Urshela this season, especially sliders.

The adjustments Urshela made to turn him into the hitter he is now were crucial in helping him get where he is today. And just like any hot hitter, pitchers will figure out how to pitch to Urshela and limit the damage. While this may hurt his numbers at first, Urshela has made adjustments before and he can do it again. He’s earned a starting spot in the Yankees line-up, and as long as he keeps hitting the ball hard things are likely to go in his favor.