Dodger fans could get used to this Yasiel Puig again

I’m not here to be a Yasiel Puig hot take machine. The baseball season is 4 games old. And all four of those games have been against the Padres. I want to have some context.

Expectations were not super high for Yasiel this season. I got him in the final round of my fantasy baseball draft and there was talk of platooning him with lefties in the Dodgers outfield.

But he’s been good in the first four games to the tune of three home runs, including two today off Jared Weaver. He’s talked more about elevating the baseball, and it’s paying off. At least so far. 

Yasiel Puig has been excellent in the early-season for the 3-1 Dodgers. By Owen Main

With Andre Ethier out, the Dodgers could really use a Puig hot streak. Dodger fans have never really seen Puig go on an extended run of playing excellent. Puig has never hit more than the 19 homers (in 109 games) he hit in his first season. Injuries, mentality, and ability to get along with teammates have all be factors. 

But maybe Puig can have some kind of break-out year. His age (26) suggests he might just be entering his prime. His approach on lifting the ball suggests he might be starting to really listening to what the organization is telling him. And his results, so far, have been good. 

However you feel about Yasiel, you can’t argue with the dominant start. If this is a guy at the middle/bottom of the Dodgers’ order providing something like 30 homers this year, then Dave Roberts’ lineup starts to look and feel quite a bit more dangerous. Let’s see how the long months of summer shake out. 

Are you optimistic about Puig yet?