Right on time: Yasiel Puig ready for MVP run
PHOENIX – Aside from recognizing his obvious talent, the main impression Jimmy Rollins had of Yasiel Puig before this spring is he was an easy opponent to dislike.
With his abundant swagger, celebratory antics and mysterious persona, the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder has been a polarizing figure since loudly breaking into the major leagues in June 2013. In the 14 games Rollins' Philadelphia Phillies and the Dodgers had played since then, he had never talked to Puig.
So, on the first day of spring training for position players, the Dodgers' new shortstop went over to Puig's locker a few steps away to say hello. Two hours later he had a much better measure of his Cuban teammate.
"Coming in, just as a competitor, you admire him but you learn not to like anybody. So I was glad not to like him,'' said Rollins, a three-time All-Star obtained in a December swap. "But once the trade happened, I was like, 'All right, I get to see what this guy is really like.' And he's nothing like you would think he was playing against him, which is good.''
Rollins' initiative and Puig's receptivity to an extended conversation – they bridged any language gaps through a Puig associate – bode well for a Los Angeles team that won 94 games and the NL West last season but was beset by internal turmoil.
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Under a new management group headed by president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers sought to improve the defense and clubhouse atmosphere by trading outfielder Matt Kemp and letting go of free agent shortstop Hanley Ramirez, and also acquiring Rollins, second baseman Howie Kendrick and catcher Yasmani Grandal.
But their centerpiece – and most marketable player – remains Puig, whose eye-popping feats on the field are sometimes overshadowed by mental lapses and bouts of immaturity that have irritated higher-ups and teammates alike.
Now 24, Puig has vowed to mend his ways to a certain extent this year, getting to the ballpark earlier and demonstrating a stronger commitment to his craft. He took the first step by showing up to camp a week ahead of time and in good shape.
"I need to do that to continue improving in my career,'' Puig told USA TODAY Sports in Spanish. "I'm sure that when Jimmy Rollins was the MVP (in 2007), he never showed up late. And you listen when guys like Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Robinson Cano and Adrian Gonzalez remind you that you need to set an example to your teammates by coming in early.''
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MVP talk has already started in regards to Puig, bolstered by both his considerable skills and the expectation that they may coalesce in his third season.
The supremely confident Puig does not shy away from such expectations, but is also making an effort to divert some of the attention to the team.
"If I win an MVP, it would be welcome. I would enjoy it with my teammates and the great city of Los Angeles,'' Puig said. "But the most important thing is to get back to the playoffs. I've developed a taste for the playoffs and wouldn't want to miss them this year.''
The Dodgers won the division each of the last two seasons but were bounced out in the first round last year and in the League Championship Series in 2013, both times by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Members of the club have talked about the need for some players to accept lesser roles for the benefit of the team, which in some instances could mean the difference between advancing in a playoff series and once again falling short of a championship. The Dodgers haven't been to the World Series since 1988.
Catcher A.J. Ellis said former teammate Mark Ellis, who spent last season with St. Louis, said the Cardinals feel like they're playing for their teammates.
"That's a great feeling to have,'' A.J. Ellis said. "We've had that here in the past and I'm excited that we have a good group that can create that culture again.''
But there are obstacles on the way, no surprise considering the Dodgers once again will have the largest payroll in the majors – in the neighborhood of $260 million – including nine players making at least $9.5 million.
For one, A.J. Ellis will have to accept a platoon role with Grandal after starting for the last three years. In a potentially thornier situation, outfielder Andre Ethier has made it clear he won't settle for a backup role after being relegated to the bench for much of the second half of last season and handling it without complaint as the Dodgers marched to the playoffs.
Highly regarded rookie Joc Pederson, a natural center fielder, is the favorite to earn that spot, with Carl Crawford due to get most of the starts in left and Puig in right.
"It's a new year and we didn't win (the championship), so I want to play every day,'' said Ethier, who is owed $56 million over the next three years. "That's what I'm here to do and what I signed on to do here.''
Repairing clubhouse fissures is not Rollins' primary job – he's expected to lead off and provide a defensive upgrade over Ramirez – but his track record as a team leader is part of what made him attractive to the Dodgers. Manager Don Mattingly believes Rollins and Kendrick bring the kind of credibility that will prompt teammates to listen.
Puig's willingness to spend two hours chatting with Rollins supports that contention. Puig, who didn't reach U.S. shores until 2012, was aware of Rollins' stature as a former MVP and World Series winner with the 2008 Phillies and said he was honored his new teammate would approach him and offer advice.
That's one more step toward the clubhouse harmony the Dodgers hope to find.
"From what I see and what I've heard, he's inserting himself into more of a team role, as opposed to just, '66, Yasiel Puig,' '' Rollins said. "And that's good for everybody, but even more so, it's good for him. If you get the guys in your team to like you and respect you, the outside will follow.''
Puig's transformation is by no means complete, but some of his teammates believe the criticism of his late arrivals and undisciplined ways has finally sunk in.
He's also had the steady guidance of Gonzalez, who last year engaged Puig in a competition to see who could get on base the most times in every series. The challenge paid off, as Puig led the Dodgers in on-base percentage (.382) and walks (67).
Now he needs to address the valleys in his production, which has tended to decline as the season goes on. Puig has a cumulative batting average of .334 with a .952 OPS before the All-Star break, and .274 and .818 after. Last season, his first full one in the majors, only five of his 16 homers came in the second half, and he did not homer for a 37-game stretch spanning all of August.
In a subdued manner that stands in stark contrast to his usual bombastic image, the Wild Horse - so dubbed by Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully - said he's now willing to make some allowances for the way the game is played in this part of the world, but won't alter his style completely.
"I can't change the way I play entirely. I can only make a few adjustments,'' Puig said. "I can't change 100% of it, because that's me and that's how I'll always be as a player. People go to the ballpark to see Yasiel Puig, not a different version.''
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