Wilyer Abreu is on NBC Sports' list of hitters who could be in line for a summer power surge, with the outlet pointing to warmer weather and a baseball that has been traveling about five feet farther than it did earlier in the season.
That matters because the offensive environment has not been the same since the start of the season. NBC Sports noted that the baseball changed because of a manufacturing issue, and the result has been a shift that could favor power hitters over the next couple of months.
Why the home run outlook is changing
From May 20th to July 8th, NBC Sports focused on hitters with at least 40 plate appearances and tracked league-wide trends that help explain the timing of this power surge talk. During that span, the league average was a 7.6% barrel rate, an 18.7% pull air rate and a 12.6% HR/FB rate.
Those numbers do not guarantee a sudden jump in production for every hitter, but they do help frame why summer is a good time to look for a home-run uptick. Warmer weather can help the ball carry, and if the baseball is already flying farther, the margin for power is a little better than it was earlier in the season.
Why Abreu is part of the discussion
Abreu was specifically named as one of the hitters who could benefit from that setup. For a player with home-run upside, even a modest change in the environment can make a difference over a few months.
The key point is not that the change guarantees a breakout, but that it creates a better backdrop for it. NBC Sports' list suggests Abreu is among the players most likely to take advantage if the summer power trend continues.
So if the league does see more home runs in the coming weeks, Wilyer Abreu is one of the names worth watching.
