Bobby Dalbec went from a streaky hitter with potential to one of the Boston Red Sox's most consistently impactful sluggers.
The 26-year-old first baseman is in his first full big league season, and there have been some predictable growing pains. He long has been a hitter with tantalizing pop, but also one who has a tendency to strike out. That played out for much of the first few months of the season, but he's really turned a corner.
Since August, Dalbec largely has been a steady batter for Boston. He hit .339 in the month of August and is at a similar pace in September, hitting .321 in eight games thus far. His defense also has been coming around lately, too.
So, what happened?
"I'm not chasing guys around the zone," Dalbec said, via The Boston Globe. "I'm not hitting the pitches they want me to swing at. I'm comfortable taking strikes in the zone knowing that’s not the pitch I want."
Perhaps the most important part of his August was that his strikeout numbers dipped, with 18 in August compared to 25 in July, for example. He has the ability to catch barrels with regularity, so as long as he's putting together good at-bats and making contact, that's all you can ask for.
