Shaw’s Discipline at the Plate Sets Auburn’s Offense
Kylie Shaw Sets the Table for Auburn
Last season, Kylie Shaw spent her freshman year in a different shade of blue and orange and appeared in 35 games for the Florida Gators. She appeared mostly as a pinch runner, and you knew that she had more to offer.
Fast forward to this season, after transferring and spending the summer in the FGCL getting valuable work, Shaw came into Auburn ready to go for her sophomore season. Now, she is no longer just a pinch runner, and she’s quietly one of the most productive hitters in the lineup.
Everyone loves the longball, but Shaw brings a high quality of hitting with no homers so far on the season. Kylie Shaw is carrying a .610 on-base percentage through 26 games this season. That means she’s getting on base in six out of every ten plate appearances.
What is impressive is she gets on base by any means necessary. Shaw not only leads the Tigers currently in hits with 32, but she also leads the team in walks with 29. Strikeouts are at 16, and through 73 at-bats on the year, that is great stuff.
Her .610 OBP currently places her third in the SEC, and when she gets on, she has the ability to snatch a bag, leading Auburn with a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases. The fact that Shaw also leads the team with 31 runs scored tells me that she is followed by great hitters on the team, and she is.
When you have players such as Alyssa Hastings, McKaela Walker, and AnnaLea Adams following you, you feel real confident that you will come around and score.
She just has to get on, use her elite base running ability, and come home. That is what Shaw has done in 26 games this season, and as one of the most disciplined hitters in the league, Shaw is not an easy out.
In the series against Kentucky, Shaw didn’t record a bunch of hits, but she worked five walks in three games. As I said earlier, she gets on base any way she can.
Plate discipline doesn’t show up on highlight reels. Nobody’s putting a walk on the top plays package, but it wins ballgames. It extends innings, it puts pressure on pitching staffs, and it makes every hitter in the lineup around you more dangerous.
Kylie Shaw is doing all of that for Auburn right now, and it’s something to keep an eye on as the Tigers continue conference play after sweeping the Kentucky Wildcats.
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