Dodgers' Andy Pages Scorching Start At The Plate Turning Heads. 'i Really Like His Work'

TORONTO — The Dodgers’ champion hitter done nan first 3 bid of nan play isn’t a family name. He isn’t nan look of immoderate world advertisement campaigns aliases nan headliner of immoderate caller Los Angeles murals.

Until nan Dodgers rolled retired a backup-heavy lineup Sunday successful their sweep-clinching triumph against nan Nationals, he hadn’t moreover deed higher than sixth successful nan Dodgers’ batting order.

Make nary mistake, however, Andy Pages has steadied nan Dodgers’ discourtesy contempt a slow commencement from its biggest stars. And connected Monday he was named nan National League subordinate of nan week.

“I don’t want to talk astir it, let’s conscionable support it going,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said pinch a grin this weekend. “But it’s been an unthinkable commencement that you tin only dream of. Hopefully we’ll support it astatine that and we won’t talk astir it anymore than that and support it going.”

Can’t consequence jinxing it.

But Pages’ first 9 games of nan play person been incredible.

He entered Monday tied for nan astir hits successful nan fields (16), matched by only nan Marlins’ Xavier Edwards. He led nan squad successful WAR (0.9), and qualified Dodgers hitters successful OPS (1.294).

Is head Dave Roberts fresh to pat himself connected nan backmost for making Pages his prime to click astatine nan extremity of outpouring training?

“Not yet,” Roberts said. “More of a sample, past I will. I really for illustration his work. I spot his head. He’s very mature. He’s matured a batch complete nan past mates of years. He’s hungry. I conscionable felt that he was owed to return different measurement forward.”

Fair enough, early April is premier overreaction season. But nan instauration of his early occurrence is rooted successful sheet discipline, which should person a lasting impact, moreover arsenic he goes done nan normal ups and downs of a season.

“[The coaching staff] ever told maine that erstwhile you’re taking a batch of swings and you’re swinging astatine really bad pitches, extracurricular nan zone, it’s really difficult to to make effect connected balls successful nan zone, aliases person bully approaches and bully at-bats,” Pages said done an interpreter. “I saw that successful myself but besides they benignant of pounded that successful my caput arsenic well.”

He’d walk 30 minutes to an hr astir days successful outpouring training dialing up nan Trajekt pitching instrumentality to trial his consciousness of nan onslaught zone.

The Trajekt tin beryllium group to mimic existent MLB pitchers’ arsenals. So, looking for pitches pinch a batch of movement, he astir often input reigning NL Cy Young Award victor Paul Skenes.

Now that nan play is underway, Pages will commencement pinch Skenes and past move to that day’s starting pitcher.

“I deliberation nan plaything is nan same,” Pages said. “I conscionable took announcement that past twelvemonth erstwhile I went connected my bad runs, I conscionable saw I was undisciplined astatine nan plate, taking bad swings, and that tended to fto successful antagonistic thoughts and being capable to spell successful that bad headspace.”

His pursuit complaint has dropped from 33.2% past play to 27.6 % entering Monday.

Shortstop Mookie Betts’ oblique wounded complete nan play raised nan question, could Pages move up successful nan batting bid arsenic Roberts reimagines nan apical of nan lineup?

“Do I consciousness comfortable pinch him hitting successful nan 3?” Roberts said of Pages. “Absolutely.”

There are, however, different considerations. How would moving him up that precocious impact nan remainder of nan order? Would opposing pitchers onslaught him differently?

“There’s a taxation connected a starting pitcher to spell 1 done 6 to past get to nan seventh aliases eighth hitter — which to his in installments he has taken advantage of,” Roberts said. “But if you look astatine nan at-bats separately, he’s taking really bully at-bats and he’s spoiling pitches, taking pitches that he needs to. I do deliberation wherever his plaything is at, wherever his caput is astatine will construe anyplace successful nan order.”

In nan first crippled of a World Series rematch against nan Blue Jays, Pages deed sixth.