Seiya Suzuki’s bodily transformation is unattainable to overlook.
His bulked-up body was a part of a deliberate offseason method that added 20 kilos to higher put together for the trials of a 162-game season coming into his second yr because the Chicago Cubs proper fielder. Suzuki felt his physique didn’t maintain up nicely over an inconsistent rookie season that examined the Japanese star on and off the sector.
It led Suzuki to heart his private objectives for 2023 on his well being.
“Make sure I don’t get injured during the season,” he mentioned by means of interpreter Toy Matsushita.
Suzuki, 28, performed 111 video games for the Cubs final yr, lacking 5 weeks due to a sprained left ring finger and 10 days to return to Japan for the start of his little one in September.
A greater Cubs offense would require bounce-back seasons from offseason acquisitions Cody Bellinger and Eric Hosmer whereas needing Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner to duplicate their greatest all-around performances.
But Suzuki is arguably the X-factor for the lineup’s potential.
“We knew he was working hard, but it’s fun to see him in person and realize that he wasn’t kidding about coming in stronger,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer mentioned. “When I take a look at our lineup, we now have numerous guys that we’re going to get actually high quality at-bats.
“We talked so much last year about power that we added some power this winter, but it’s not our strength. Having him continue to improve, continue to do what he did in April, having that kind of middle-of-the-order presence would go a long way for our offense.”
When Suzuki is locked in, he sprays the ball across the subject and is particularly good at hitting to the center of the sector. His elite plate self-discipline, not often chasing pitches out of the zone, units up Suzuki to do harm, particularly towards fastballs.
At occasions he was uncovered final yr on off-speed stuff, however his general hitting profile blends the on-base and phone abilities with energy, a mix the Cubs want extra of.
Suzuki’s remaining 125 plate appearances (.315/.392/.514 slash line) present the kind of game-changing hitter he might be if he reduces the acute slumps.
“When he is healthy and the timing’s right for him in the box, he’s a really impactful player,” supervisor David Ross mentioned. “The main thing for him is staying on the field, second time through the league, keeping his weight on — all the things that were a priority for him in the offseason I think will translate really well.”
Although Suzuki’s transition to Major League Baseball entails a second consecutive irregular spring coaching, he feels higher outfitted to deal with the subsequent few weeks regardless of a looming departure to affix Team Japan in Tokyo for the World Baseball Classic.
The key this spring, Suzuki defined, is totally understanding the circulation of a typical camp day.
“Last year I didn’t really know how the team worked out in terms of time management,” Suzuki mentioned. “I was a little off last year, but this year I know what I want to do. I know what I want to work on.”
Suzuki needed so as to add power within the offseason to assist generate extra swing pace and, by extension, extra energy. The Cubs count on these changes to repay.
“With all the travel schedules and all the different practice times, it does have a toll on my body,” Suzuki mentioned. “So I know how it’s going to be going into the season. I just want to make sure I’m recovering properly and playing well.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com