Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Proves worthy of cleanup spot
DeJong, who hit .464 (13-for-28) before spring training was suspended, proved himself worthy of manning the No. 4 spot in the order this coming season with his Grapefruit League performance, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
DeJong's aforementioned impressive batting average was largely comprised of a double, four home runs, eight RBI, two walks and seven runs, certainly lending credence to the notion he's ramping up for a big season. Hummel notes that DeJong has now been working closely with hitting coach Jeff Albert for a full year, a relationship that appears to be paying dividends after the shortstop hit just .233 in 2019, including .193 with men in scoring position. Resurgent seasons from both DeJong and No. 3 hitter Paul Goldschmidt would give the Cardinals one of the more formidable 1-2 punches in the majors at those critical spots in the order.
