It’s rare in Major League Baseball to watch slow, gradual development of a player over an extended period of time. Normally, that kind of skill-honing happens in the minors, or happens not at all. Every now and then, however, we get to watch a player struggle perhaps longer than we’d all like before finally, finally turning a corner on one of his previous deficiencies.
Nine times out of ten, that’s because those players bring something else monumental to the game, and it’s usually a stellar defensive calling card. Glove-first guys have long carved out niches on MLB rosters despite swinging awful bats, usually at the all-important up the middle positions of catcher, centerfielder, or shortstop.