Los Angeles Angels Shortstop Will Return To Switch Hitting This Season

Returning to switch-hitting.

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Andrew Velazquez has stated his intention to resume switch-hitting for the upcoming season despite having dropped it for a portion of the previous one.

Also in this story: Andrew Velazquez is giving switch hitting another shot.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) February 19, 2023

Velazquez struggled with his hitting from both sides of the plate in 2022, but performed notably better batting right-handed with a .238 average compared to .168 as a lefty.

However, with the return of Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher to the team and the addition of new infielders Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela, Velazquez may see fewer opportunities this year.

Andrew Velazquez has a career batting average of .192 with a .240 on-base percentage and a .295 slugging percentage in the major leagues. Here are his career stats as a switch hitter split by batting side:

• As a left-handed hitter, Velazquez has a career batting average of .155 with a .265 on-base percentage and a .196 slugging percentage in 111 plate appearances.

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• As a right-handed hitter, Velazquez has a career batting average of .237 with a .300 on-base percentage and a .384 slugging percentage in 123 plate appearances.

Fortunately, for the Angels, the twenty-eight-year-old doesn't need to bring a ton to the table offensively as he is already a fantastic defender. Photo Credit:  Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports