While the Los Angeles Dodgers have not gotten off to the start many expected this season, they’ve benefitted from a down year in the National League West, and enter Friday tied for first place in the division.
Yasiel Puig is among those who are indicative of the Dodgers’ season thus far, as he, like the team, began on a strong not before cooling off. Puig is looking to bounce back from a year in which multiple hamstring injuries limited him to a career-low 79 games.
Public perception of Puig didn’t improve, though he worked to repair that during the offseason. After losing weight at the request of Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Puig reported to Spring Training in improved condition and with a renewed focus.
While the 25 year old is working to improve his image, Puig isn’t losing sight of the player he is, nor does Dodgers manager Dave Roberts want him to.
A chief example of Puig’s desire to maintain the exuberance he plays with is his recent revelation he is on board with Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper’s “Make baseball fun again” campaign.
As for his teammates, Puig believes they’ve taken to his renewed work ethic and attitude, and is hopeful to win the Dodgers’ Roy Campanella Award, according to Marly Rivera of ESPN:
“This year things are better. I think it’s because my teammates see the effort that I am putting in every day, which I didn’t do before. They see the change in my behavior, and I think it has helped to have better relationships in the clubhouse. My only goal this year is to work hard and give my all, and I want to maybe win the Roy Campanella Award [selected by Dodgers players and personnel for team leadership]. Then people can see that maybe it wasn’t all about Yasiel Puig being wrong.”
Zack Greinke was the recipient of the Roy Campanella Award last season, with Clayton Kershaw taking it home in 2014 and 2013. While Puig hasn’t been at the center of any clubhouse controversies, he’s still looking to improve on the field.
He’s batting .236/.282/.374 with four doubles, two triples, three home runs and 12 RBIs in 33 games.
