7 years agoNew York Mets shortstop Amed Rosario is hitting .329/.360/.482 over the past three weeks since Aug. 9 and had seven hits in three games against the Cubs earlier this week. One of the biggest trends for this up-and-coming infielder is that he's striking out less and walking more in 2018. Rosario struck out 29 percent of the time in his rookie season in 2017 while walking just 1.8 percent of the time. The 22-year-old has nearly tripled his walk rate from 1.8 percent to 5.1 percent this year. He's also ranked fifth in baseball with an 8.3 percent improvement in his strikeout rate -- from 28.8 percent last year to 20.6 percent in 2018. Rosario is swinging at more strikes this year and is whiffing less when he does swing. His chase rate -- swinging at pitches outside the strike zone -- is down from 40 percent to 35 percent. The young infielder is also hitting the ball hard, going from a 25 percent hard-hit rate last year to 32 percent. While Rosario's season slash line of .249/.290/.372 with seven homers and 43 RBI doesn't stand out, it looks like his stock is on the rise for future seasons. His 16 steals are really what makes him valuable to fantasy owners right now.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Source: MLB.com - Mike Petriello