There were a lot of question marks surrounding Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig going into the 2017 season, as the year prior was hardly positive for him.
The Dodgers at one point attempted to trade Puig, and when they were unable to do so, demoted him to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He returned for the final month of the regular season but in a bench role — something Puig was not accustomed to.
Puig went into Spring Training this year with an opportunity to bounce back, repair his image, and a desire to reclaim a starting job in right field. And that’s exactly what he did.
Hamstring issues had limited Puig the last few seasons, but he remained healthy this season and in 152 games, hit .263/.346/.487 with career highs in home runs (28), RBIs (74) and stolen bases (15).
In addition to his strong production on offense, Puig was also stellar in right field as he won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award. He lost out on the Gold Glove award to Chicago Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward, although Puig was equally if not more deserving.
Puig carried his strong production into the postseason, as he came up with a number of clutch hits in all three of the Dodgers series. Overall in 56 at-bats, he slashed .286/.365/.518 with three home runs and 10 RBIs.
Puig’s play on the field was not the only thing to be impressed with, as the recently-turned 27-year-old also matured a lot off the field, having his second child, being eager to learn English and not causing any issues in the clubhouse.
2017 Highlight:
Puig was fun to watch in the postseason, as he was locked in at the plate for much of it. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Cubs, Puig went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a home run.
The home run was the first of his postseason career and helped the Dodgers earn a 5-2 victory as they went on to win the series in five games, advancing to their first World Series since 1988.
2018 Outlook:
A year ago, it didn’t seem like Puig fit into the organization’s future plans, but a lot has changed in the last 12 months.
He heads into the 2018 season as the team’s unquestioned everyday right fielder, and although it will be the last of Puig’s six-year contract he signed with the Dodgers out of Cuba, he will be arbitration eligible in 2019.
