New and Improved: Hall has Sights Set on Majors

How the Philadelphia Phillies first baseman fully refined his offseason approach, en route to a career season.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Every Wednesday in the offseason, you'd find Darick Hall out on the lake, meal preps in tow, recovering and taking his mind off of the game he's devoted his life to. Days like these were necessary, due to the copious amount of heavy lifting, literally and figuratively, that was to come in the days ahead.

Above all else, Darick Hall is a tinkerer. He is constantly experimenting, and actively searching for ways to improve his game. The Philadelphia Phillies' power-prone first baseman knew he was going to have to refine his offensive skillset after a tough, adjustment-filled 2021 campaign. So, as he stared down what would be his second straight season of Triple-A in 2022, he got to work.

This year, Darick overhauled his offseason plan. His preparation was extensive: four days a week, he would head to the 55-foot long cage that he and his best friend built on his family's property in Arizona, and the 26 year-old would take over 180 swings per day. Left hand angle, right hand angle, sinker, cutter, curveball, slider, every location, every pitch path – it was a complete departure from his previous routine, in which Hall would set the machine to fastball, (and the occasional curveball) and let 'er rip.

The end goal for the lefty was to limit his adjustments in-season. He aimed to get his swing as close as possible to where he wanted it, as to save his mental capacity to focus on re-adjusting to the league as it counter-adjusted to him. When all was said and done, Hall had seen so many pitches, taken so many cuts, and gone through so many reps, that he was sure he'd done just that.

Boy, did it pay dividends. The Dallas Baptist product has managed an impressive .896 OPS, alongside an International League-leading 15 home runs across his first 53 games.

Hall swats a double in MLB Spring Training against the Detroit Tigers / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Not only did Hall manage to surpass his 2021 home run total in just 44 games, but thanks to his refined offseason plan, the lefty has finally found a way to turn on the inside pitches that gave him so much trouble in previous years. What's more, Hall said that he hasn't had to make a significant swing change throughout this first third of his season.

"I haven't had [to make one] at all, so I've been able to put all of my mental power into my approach and competitive mentality... Now I know what my swing is doing... and I'm getting more consistent results."

Hall's consistency has had a sort of domino effect on the rest of his game, too. His confident aura, both at and away from the plate, allows him to hunt for mistakes, and look for "his pitch," regardless of the count. He's swinging more often, he's battling deeper into at-bats, and he's striking out less, all while turning in his best season since joining the Phillies organization.

This kind of season has been a long time coming for Hall, who the Phillies selected in the fourteenth round of the 2016 MLB Draft. His professional career has been full of adjustments, both minor and major, that have led to mixed results on paper over the years.

"I've had the talent," Hall said, "but I had to really put the heat to the diamond."

And put the heat to the diamond he did. Because he was given so much playing opportunity – in the "post-Rhys Hoskins era," as he put it – Hall was able to work through a slew of periods where he would struggle, constantly correcting himself, and leading him to this breakout offensive campaign.

So, what's the next step for the first baseman? His International League home-run-leading counterpart, Nolan Gorman, was called up by the Saint Louis Cardinals earlier this season, and is off to a torrid start. Could Hall follow a similar path?

"In a way, if I were to have gotten [to the major leagues] too quick, I would've had to deal with some of the things I've dealt with in the minors in the big leagues, which is even harder."

"I always try to stay grounded wherever I'm at, because I believe there's always something to be learned... Iron sharpens iron... and anything that goes on [at the Triple-A level] will prepare me for the next level when I do get the call."

Until that fateful day, Darick will continue to do what he does best: mash the living out of Triple-A pitching. His breakout season is a manifestation of his work ethic and a dedication to his craft, it furthers the point that baseball is as much a mental game as it is physical.

Some Wednesday in the near future, Darick will be back out on the lake, casting his line out in the Arizona heat, in hopes of landing a catch or two. But, for the next five months, his sights remain set on the ultimate prize, and the one call that will change his life forever.

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