Despite the fact that Yasiel Puig appeared in a career-worst 79 games last season, perception held he nonetheless casted a dark shadow on the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse. There were rumblings of rifts between Puig and some teammates, most notably Zack Greinke.
Though, now with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Greinke recently denied any sort of frayed relationship with Puig or animosity in the Dodgers clubhouse led to the right-hander bolting for the desert. Now that Dave Roberts and a new coaching staff are in place and Puig is showing a renewed focus, perception of the enigmatic outfielder is changing.
Clayton Kershaw praised Puig during Spring Training for his work ethic, so too did Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman throughout the offseason, and Roberts said recently managing the 25-year-old outfielder has been a “joy.”
While it’s easy to forget given the immediate success Puig had as a rookie, this season is only his fourth with the club. While the organization has focused on infusing the roster with plenty of young talent, a healthy veteran presence is mixed in.
One of those veterans being infielder Chase Utley, who re-signed with the club during the offseason on a one-year, $7 million contract. Utley recently offered advice to Puig on how to sustain a long a career, according to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register:
Obviously, I think we all know how much talent he has,” Utley said. “You see a guy with so much talent and you want him to be able to get the most out of that talent for as long as you can. So I gave him my two cents on how I thought he could sustain that success for a long time.”
There were no secrets. Establish a routine, Utley told Puig. Be accountable. Be prepared every day. “Get here on time and do the things that are necessary to be a good teammate,” Puig summarized. “Work hard to get the job done.”
Puig said during the offseason he hoped to be a better teammate in 2016, and has thus far backed his words with actions. He’s batting .347/.429/.510 in 13 games this season, with one double, two triples, one home run and five RBIs.
There have already been vintage Puig moments where he electrified the crowd with an aggressive baserunning decision, and Puig has stolen two bases without getting caught. Roberts and Yasmani Grandal both said they didn’t have any issue with Puig pushing the envelope.
