If Juan Lagares could just be an above average hitter, he would be a stud.
The center fielder has shined on defense since he debuted in 2013, but now he is looking to improve upon his offense. According to James Wagner of the New York Times, Lagares will be working with Craig Wallenbrock this offseason to improve his swing.
Wallenbrock is the private hitting coach that helped revamp J.D. Martinez‘s swing.
After an unsuccessful stint in Houston to begin his career, Martinez caught on with the Tigers and looked like a new player.
He truly broke out in 2015, appearing in the All-Star Game while clubbing 38 long balls and driving in 102 runs in 657 plate appearances.
This past year between the Tigers and Diamondbacks, he launched 45 homers and drove in 104 runs while hitting at a .303/.376/.690 clip.
As for Lagares, he has already captured one Gold Glove in his career. Check out this extensive report done by MMO’s own Logan Barer, who breaks down why he would have won the award again this year if he qualified.
With general manager Sandy Alderson saying Monday at the GM meetings in Orlando that Lagares figures to be an important cog in the machine for the Mets next season, it’s going to be interesting to see if he is able to improve his launch angle and exit velocity to hit for a higher average with more power.
