Brandon Belt Breaks Out: Why He's Finally Ready to Shine

For a while, Brandon Belt looked lost.  The San Francisco Giants handed him the job at first base in 2011, but Belt suffered from his own inconsistency, sporadic playing time and an unfortunate injury.

This year, things hadn’t looked much better.  Belt’s power had disappeared, and he was downright tentative at the plate.  The numbers showed that something was wrong.  Belt was swinging at more strikes than ever before, but making contact at a career-low rate. 

That meant one thing: Belt had a hole in his swing, and things were looking bad.

But then there were rumblings that the Giants were tinkering with his swing, hoping for more power.  Belt started to look different at the plate—lower, more open, more balanced.  As May turned to June, Belt began to look like a different player.  He had the same great eye that’s always been his calling card as a young pro, but he looked more comfortable and started hitting the ball more squarely.

Something was changing.

On Tuesday against the Houston Astros, Belt finally connected.  He hit his first home run of the season.  Giants fans were justifiably skeptical, though, as Belt had shown flashes before.  It was fair to doubt him.

Last night, Belt put those doubts to rest.

In his first plate appearance, Belt worked a 3-1 count and then uncoiled his quicker, more compact swing and pummeled a fastball over the wall to dead center field.

In his second, Belt worked himself into another 3-1 count before ripping a low liner through the hole on the right side, driving in a run.

In his third, as if reminding Giants fans of the one elite skill that hadn’t ever abandoned him, Belt came from behind in the count to draw a walk.

So, it’s been two games.  Why believe in Belt this time?  Put simply, because it’s different this time.  Belt’s numbers always showed he had great patience, and his minor league career was marked by immense power.

Along with the potential his numbers always hinted at, he’s also got a firm hold on the job at first base for the rest of the season, as the Giants optioned Brett Pill to Triple-A Fresno this week.

With consistent playing time assured and a new stance at the plate, Belt has an opportunity to turn a breakout into sustained success.

So, did anything else happen on Wednesday night against the Astros?

***UPDATE***

Belt has already gone yard again today, giving him homers in three straight.  The new stance is powerful, and we should all fear it.