Where there is a will, there is a way.
Amed Rosario has been an underwhelming hitter in his MLB career, at least compared to the hype he generated as a prospect.
In parts of seven seasons in the majors, he has accumulated a .272/.308/.400 line with a .708 OPS.
That’s adequate production, but not particularly exciting.
But he wants to be better and made sure to put the work in since November.
He went to Driveline Baseball, the lab of the moment, and re-designed his swing with the help of professionals.
It earned him a $1.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, who intend to use him as a middle infielder and corner outfielder.
Before taking the field on Wednesday against the New York Yankees, he had a .250/.250/.500 line with a homer and a steal in six games.
After the end of the game, he is now hitting .368.
How?
Well, he went 3-for-3 and had a fine slugging day, per fantasy baseball analyst Chris Clegg.
“The Rays signed Amed Rosario for $1.5 million.. he homered off Paul Skenes on Monday. Homered again today and added a double and a single. Two of the batted balls had EVs of 102 mph and 103.2 mph,” Clegg tweeted.
The Rays signed Amed Rosario for $1.5 million.. he homered off Paul Skenes on Monday. Homered again today and added a double and a single. Two of the batted balls had EVs of 102 mph and 103.2 mph.
As you can see, he is hitting the ball hard often, and that opens up many opportunities for him.
Have a day, Amed: a single, a double, and a home run also took his OPS to 1.157.
He seems poised for a career season in Tampa, and since he will be playing for his next contract, he has all the motivation in the world to be successful.
Hitting the ball hard consistently was a problem for him earlier in his career, but his swing seems rejuvenated now.
Now, if he could get some walks, he could become a true star.
Even if he doesn’t, he can contribute to the Rays if his power production increases.
That’s the idea, and the early results are promising.