CRAIG’S COMMENTS: Looking at the final 100 games, facing pitching velocity, discussing analytics and updates on Cronenworth and Campusano

Griffin Canning at Petco Park

The Padres have hit a bit of a rough spot, but there are still 100 games to be played and Padres’ manager Craig Stammen discussed the bulk of the season still ahead Saturday afternoon at Petco Park:

“We’re excited,” said Stammen. “We’re going to keep playing hard and keep playing good baseball and play baseball where we’re together and not as individuals, that they’re supporting each other and have each other’s backs and we’ll see where we end up after those last 100 games. But if we do those couple things, we’ll be just fine.”

With the Padres having been shutout three times in the last 10 games, Stammen discussed starting pitcher Griffin Canning trying to do too much Saturday against the Mets:

“We always talk about that,” said Stammen. “It’s a mindset that’s natural. You want to be the guy that helps your team win the game. And for a pitcher, that’s not giving up any runs. We’d welcome not giving up any runs. We also know we can’t chase results. We have to chase the process and seek excellence along the way. We know if we do that, we’re going to get wins.”

Analytics show the Padres have faced more pitching velocity than any other Major League team:

“We’ve all noticed it in general, how hard everybody throws,” Stammen began. “You rarely see anybody throwing less than 95 miles per hour now, which is pretty remarkable. It isn’t like other teams aren’t facing velocity. We may have faced the most velocity up to this date, but everybody plays everybody so everyone is going to face velocity. We have to figure out a way to hit it.

“It’s a new age of baseball. Maybe we have to find new ways of training. Maybe taking batting practice, hitting flips and batting off the tee might not be what will get us to the next level. We have to try a few new things and maybe going back to the old stuff and just competing in the batter’s box. We’re trying to figure out what’s best for our team and will help them hit those kind of pitchers and that kind of velocity.”

Manny Machado recently criticized all the analytical statistics being used in baseball, drawing this thought from his manager:

“I think the reason we built the coaching staff the way we did is we have a lot of former players that grew up in the same age that Manny Machado grew up,” Stammen began. “I was his former teammate. So, he and I were getting the same information for a long time. Has the game changed, has the stuff on the scoreboard changed a bit?

“Yes. It has. But you look at the back of a baseball card and what does it have? A bunch of numbers with a bunch of statistics. And that’s what advanced analytics is. It’s a bunch of numbers with a bunch of different stats that equate things probably in a little bit more accurate way than they used to. We used to just talk about batting average, RBIs and home runs. Now we talk about OPS, WRC+ and all those kinds of things and expected numbers like what should have happened.

“I think you can boggle your mind with all those statistics. Again, they’re just statistics. And they don’t paint the entire picture. What we have to do is do things out on the field and perform, compete. I think what Manny is probably trying to relay is that keep it simple which is what he’s done since he was 10 years old and will keep doing it that way.”

Stammen on Jake Cronenworth (concussion protocol): “He’s definitely ramping up his activity level. He’s at the point in the concussion protocol where you are increasing activity and seeing if you can handle it. There is no timeline.”

Stammen on catcher Luis Campusano (fractured big toe): “He’s been rehabbing and still progressing. He’s still probably a little ways away. But he is doing baseball activities, just small things and he’s not pain free.”