Michael Beltre: Switching It Up

Outfielder regaining his groove and confidence as a switch-hitter

By Eli Fishman | SomersetPatriots.com

Bridgewater, New Jersey - Among the many details that might fail to show up in a player’s stat sheet is which side of the plate a hitter took any given at-bat. For Somerset Patriots outfielder and New York Yankees prospect Michael Beltre, switch-hitting is the untold story of his career.

Beltre was a switch-hitter throughout his professional career, which began when he was signed as an international free agent by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013, until the 2019 season, when the team had him begin swinging solely as a lefty.

After seven minor league seasons with the Reds, Beltre signed with the Yankees as a free agent before the 2021 season. Over 109 games for Somerset he burst onto the scene, hitting .256 with 37 stolen bases, while more than tripling his prior career-high of five home runs with 16. He earned Double-A Northeast League All-Star and Yankees Organization All-Star recognition after the season.

Following a slow start at the plate to begin the 2022 season, dugout banter about switch-hitting prompted a light-bulb to ignite in the 27-year-old’s head. Over the next few days, Beltre began taking batting practice from the right side of the plate, and within a couple of weeks, in games.

As of July 10th, Beltre has hit safely in his last eight games, hitting .400 over that span with four home runs.

“It’s been tough,” Beltre admitted. “My first week facing a lefty, my brain was like ‘I think you're doing something wrong.’ It’s an adventure (but) once I feel comfortable facing lefties and righties, that’s going to be another tool for me.”

Somerset manager Dan Fiorito added, “He’s done a great job of swinging at his pitches, and fortunately when he’s getting balls over the heart of the plate, he’s driving them. He’s had some really good at-bats versus lefties, and I think it’s something that's just going to keep getting better and better as we go on.”

Building confidence has been as big of a battle as the physical aspect in his return to switch-hitting.

“I think it's more (tough) mentally, my approach,” Beltre added. “I’ve been working a lot on the mental side. My swing is there, sometimes I just start (over) thinking.”

Fiorito agreed, adding that, “confidence in the box, it's tough to just gain. It comes with success. Fortunately (Beltre) was able to put some great swings on the ball (recently) and you can see the weight just come off his shoulders.”

“He’s a master of his craft,” said Patriots hitting coach Jake Hirst. “He doesn't panic when things aren't going quite right, he takes a step back from everything and we have conversations on what's working and what's not going well. He’s locked his swing decisions in, he’s locked his swing in, and now we’re seeing the benefits of that.”

Manning all three spots in the outfield for the Patriots, the 6’3”, 220-lb Beltre’s defense has been nothing short of astounding, with two home run robberies that earned a feature on SportsCenter last season.

“If he wasn't playing baseball he would go be an elite track athlete or an elite football player,” Hirst complimented Beltre, who ranks third on the team with 19 stolen bases this season. “The biggest thing is just how athletic he is. He’s powerful, he’s fast, he’s intelligent. I think just all of those things come (together), and you're going to see a show. He has tons of natural ability, so I think when he gets all those clicking in the right direction, it's something special.”