The evolution of Bartolo Colon, the hitter

Bartolo Colon has evolved into being an average hitter for a major-league pitcher.Upon joining the New York Mets in 2014, Bartolo Colon's hitting, or lack thereof, became a national punchline. A Colon at-bat was always good for a laugh or two, mainly because he looked silly trying. The results matched the laughter. He went 2-for-62 with 33 strikeouts.

The jokes still come two years later.

“He’s Shrek meets the Country Bear Jamboree,” one scout said.

“The industry is abuzz in trying to scramble for an advance report on him,” another said.

But there’s a difference now. Colon may be a punchline, but he now has a little offensive punch when he steps up to the plate.

Colon is 9-for-70 with six RBIs…