“He’s very conscientious to his overall game, and he has a real strong desire to get the most out of his ability and help his team, maybe not in that order,” Shildt said. “He’s a very team-first guy. He’s a smart guy and talented physically, and he’s starting to see how people are pitching him and how he needs to make adjustments. It’s just the intentionality of being conscious of being a better player coupled with his work ethic, his talent and his intelligence.”
DeJong struck out 124 times in 443 plate appearances in 2017 and 123 times in 490 plate appearances last season.