(a) and (b). He has a hole in his swing and big leaguers are bound throw offspeed pitch after offspeed pitch now that it's been exposed. I can't help but think the HGH controversy has gotten to his head too. He has struggled under pressure in the past too. It'll be a huge test for him, for some hitters it's the toughest thing to overcome. As Thome gets to #500, beyond the raw power, his greatest strength was his mental toughness at the plate. He's adapted so many times to how the pitchers have pitched differently to him throughout his career. Thome always had the patient approach though (.418 minor league OBP). Ankiel may well have as much raw power as Thome, but his strike zone judgment is way behind Jim's. If raw power was all you needed, Ryan Harvey and Brian Dopirak would be kicking ass for the big club right now. Thome is better at adapting than most players, yes, but he also started with a much better understanding of what to swing at and what to let go.