It took then 22-year-old Amed Rosario awhile to transition from the minors to the rigors of the MLB level, but during the second half last year, we saw flashes of the talent he is.
Post All-Star break last season, Rosario hit .268/.302/.383 with with five homers, 28 RBI and 12 stolen bases. During the second-half, the shortstop got rid of the leg kick in his swing for a more compact approach.
However, early this Spring, he has brought the leg kick back and it has yielded some early results (4-for-9 at the dish including two big doubles on Wednesday).
“I realize that when my foot is down it’s not the same as when I actually lift my leg up,” Rosario said, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. “When I lift my leg, I have a better swing and I also have a little bit more power.”
Mets’ manager Mickey Callaway said he likes that Rosario is more “spread out” than last year.
“He’s a little more open than last year, and that down-and-away pitch looks really far when you are so upright. I think he is kind of spread out now, and I feel like he is going to be able to recognize that down-and-away pitch and probably give him a little more confidence to cover everything else.
“If the leg kick is something he is comfortable with, it seems to be working. These guys need to do what’s comfortable for them. It’s about comfort and confidence. Every hitter is different and every hitter’s feet works different.
Their hands work different and they have got to find something they are comfortable with, so hopefully this is something he can hopefully take off with.”
For Rosario, despite seeing the most success without the leg kick, he is confident that it can translate into success this year.
“My confidence from last year is what has driven me, kind of brought me along to my success at this point in spring training,” Rosario said.
