The second you get comfortable is the second you get passed up, Ryan O’Hearn said at Royals FanFest last month.
And the “wow factor” of finally emerging in the major leagues last year with the Royals definitely hasn’t faded, he said Thursday.
Be all that as it may, after a compelling late-season debut highlighted by 12 home runs, 10 doubles and 30 RBIs in 170 plate appearances, O’Hearn will tell you that mentally he feels like a “completely different player than I did a year ago.”
Because now he knows he belongs and has conviction about being an intriguing part of the Royals future — a stature he could only have guessed he might occupy before he seized the pivotal opportunity after his call-up on July 31.