JUPITER, Fla. (KMOX) - We caught
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong on his way to the parking lot after Monday's first full squad workout. The middle-of-the-order man isn't making quite the same big league bucks as a few of his teammates, but he's hoping to one day be a guy with a high-end luxury ride.
Prepare. Execute. Celebrate.That's the message from #STLCards manager Mike Shildt to his squad: https://t.co/DAsS8Y3bAJ pic.twitter.com/v8lYuv2yiW
— KMOXSports (@KMOXSports)
February 19, 2019 DeJong dealt with injuries in 2018, but still hit 19 home runs in 115 games, while driving in 68 runs. Cardinals manager Mike Shildt says he appreciates the shortstop's approach.
"Talk about consistency. Paul is a guy that we feel good about because he carries himself so well," the manager remarked.
"The thing I appreciate about Pauly, he's no longer a younger guy by age, but relative to the league and his experience, he's going on his third year. He's mature."
"So you talk about experience...Paul's a guy that takes advantage of experience, so his ability to mature and grow and see the game continues to progress impressively."
DeJong's 44 home runs are 6th most among MLB shortstops over the past two seasons, despite missing significant time due to a wrist injury last year, and his 16.5% HR/FB rate is 5th best over the same span
