San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar had a terrible 2023 season. And that may be a generous explanation.
Profar signed a one-year, $7.75 million contract with the Colorado Rockies on March 21, just nine days before Opening Day on March 30. However, he did not even join the team until Game 4 against the Padres on April 2nd. And unfortunately for Profar, he never caught up until he was finally released on August 27th. In 111 games with the Rockies in 2023, Profar hit just .236/.316/.364 with 25 doubles, two triples, and eight home runs. He finished with a bWAR-1.7 with an 18.2% strikeout rate and just 9.5% walk rate, ranking last on Purple Row. 2023 Rockies Series Rankings.
2023 was not a good year for Jurickson Profile.
However, 2024 turned out to be a great year for Jurickson Profile.
He is currently hitting .283/.382/.466 in a career-high 155 games with a career-high 3.7 bWAR. He was chosen simply First All-Star appearance,but, voting leader National League outfielder. Both he and Fernando Tatis Jr. were selected as All-Star starters, the first Padres outfielder to do so since Tony Gwynn in 1999, but Tatis was the No. 60 batter so he actually started the game. Profar was the only one. He suffered a stress reaction in his right femur, was placed on injured reserve, and did not appear in any MLB games from June 21st to September 2nd.
So, what was the trigger for the change from 2023 to 2024?
“I always expect myself to play like this” Profar told the San Diego Tribune In May. “I didn't do it before. But now I am. I'm this player. I am.”
Rockies hitting coach Hensley Mullens has known Profar for many years and also explained why he thinks Profar has performed well.
“Well, I think he was embarrassed by who he was last year,” Mullens said. “I thought he was a much better player overall than he was playing.” [in Colorado]. But it's also important to remember that he didn't attend spring training. He wasn't signed until the final week of camp. In fact, he didn't even break up [the Rockies]. He stayed in Arizona for a few days before meeting us in San Diego for the last few days of the quadruple game. As a result, he was a little behind from the beginning and couldn't play as well as he wanted.
“And he went to the Dominican Republic.” [Republic]played winter ball and worked with Tatis and his father to modify his swing and it worked,” Meulens continued. “So you worked hard for months in the offseason. I think that's the main reason he turned around.”
Profar's swing adjustments seem to be paying off, with career highs in home runs (24), hits (156), singles (103), RBIs (85), and wRC+ (141). It is recorded. National League in games played (155, 7th), batting average (.283, 10th), runs scored (91, 9th), on-base percentage (.382, 3rd), and total OPS (.848, 8th) is ranked at the top of ).
Profar is also excellent defensively. Check out this week's two web gems.
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https://x.com/MLB/status/1838799596669038617
But beyond the physical and mechanical adjustments, another thing that both Profar and Mullens mentioned was Profar's ability to be more relaxed this year. He signed with the Padres last August after being released by the Rockies, but re-signed with the Flyers in February, well before spring training began.
“He had a normal offseason,” Mullens added. “He worked extra on his hitting, but it wasn’t like he was having a hard time signing a contract. All that stuff is mental for guys, so all of that was behind him. He started camp normally, had a good camp, and was named an All-Star this year. We just voted him a Silver Slugger.”
Profar alluded to this in May while talking about some of his younger teammates.
“I think they put a little bit of pressure on themselves,” he said. San Diego Tribune. “They want it so bad. I've been there too. You hope for something bad, but it doesn't happen. I think they all tone it down a little bit. I just want it to happen because we have the talent. If you put too much pressure on something, it won't happen.”
He laughed and said, “I understand.”
With new swings and a new relaxed state of mind, the stars are aligned for the 2024 Jurickson Profar. Everything seems to be going well, and there's a very good chance he'll earn votes for National League MVP next to the great Shohei Ohtani. He is undoubtedly the MVP for the Padres, who enter the playoffs with a chance to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West. And there's a good chance he'll win his first career Silver Slugger.
Jurickson Profar may not have been the best addition for the Rockies in 2023, but his turnaround with the Padres in 2024 is nothing short of amazing.
