Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Swinging hot bat early
DeJong, who went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run in a Grapefruit League win over the Astros on Wednesday, also hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs overall in an exhibition loss to the Nationals on Tuesday.
The slugging shortstop has only logged six plate appearances through three spring games, but he's made excellent use of them. DeJong mustered career highs in extra-base hits (62) in 2019, including new high-water marks in doubles (31) and home runs (30). He drove in a career-best 78 runs, but he also produced a pedestrian .233 average, the lowest of his big-league career thus far. The timely hitting he's demonstrated over a small sample thus far in Grapefruit League play is a particularly welcome sight after DeJong hit just .193 with men in scoring position last season, and Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports manager Mike Shildt was particularly gratified to see it. "I want to see Paul hit with that runner at third, less than two outs, " Shildt said. "And today we got that situation. He got to two strikes and didn't try to do too much. What a fluid, pretty swing."
