Cardinals' Grichuk beginning to show true potential

Randal Grichuk came with a lot of promise and as he continues to develop and earn more playing time, his skillset is starting to show.

“He’s getting better,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I think he’s starting to figure out a little bit how the league wants to pitch him. He’s kind of like a young pitcher that comes up and has a great arm. He wants to just throw at the beginning and you become aware of the fact that, ‘You know what? That might not be working as well as it used to. So what do I need to do? What adjustments do I need to make.’

“It’s the same with a young hitter. Randal’s going up there with more of an approach now and an idea of what guys are trying to do. It’s not necessarily being a guess hitter, but knowing himself, knowing his strengths and weakness and how to maybe maximize what he brings to the table.”

The 23-year old outfielder has played well lately, but he says he really started to get comfortable with life in the big leagues at the end of last year and that the comfort has continued to build.

“I think last year, once I started getting more at-bats in September, I started feeling a little bit better,” said Grichuk. “Then breaking (spring training) with the team, coming back from the injury to where I was getting more regular at-bats, it kind of made me feel more comfortable and just more confident.”

While Grichuk is proving that he's capable of being an every day player, it's perfectly reasonable to think that he will only continue to imprive and get better – a thought that likely pleases every Cardinals fan.

(h/t St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast