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The third time has indeed been the charm for Heston Kjerstad, who’s making the most of his third MLB stint with the Baltimore Orioles.
On his third option with the club, Kjerstad is batting .366 over 10 games since being recalled to the majors on June 24.
He’s got 3 home runs and 12 RBIs in that span, including his first career grand slam.
He’s earned the respect of his teammates, and starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez, especially. Baltimore’s starting pitcher raved about the 25-year-old after a 6-3 win over the Oakland Athletics.
“Heston can swing the bat and I think he’s really starting to show people that he can,” Rodriguez told reporters on July 7. “I think the league’s about to get a wake-up call about him, because the way he handles the bat is impressive. He’s got some juice. You see it during BP, and it’s starting to show during the games.”
Kjerstad hit his hardest ball of the season in the win over the Athletics.
He sent a 90.2 mph cutter from Mitch Spence for 406 feet at a 107.4 mph exit velocity to score three in the first inning.
Previously the club’s number four prospect, Kjerstad is looking the part of an major leaguer for Baltimore on the day to day.
Kjerstad: ‘I Just Want to Help the Team Win’
After the Orioles’ 57th win of the year, Kjerstad spoke with reporters about his approach and play of late.
He maintains a team-first focus, but credited the reps he’s received for his success at the plate.
“I just want to help the team win games any way I can do that,” Kjerstad told Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “The more at-bats you can get, the more consecutive games you can play, it kind of helps you get into a rhythm or stay in a rhythm. But also, it’s the game of baseball. Whenever your name’s called on, whether you’ve gotten to play every day or you haven’t played in a couple days, you’ve got to show up and do your job and help the team win.”
That’s the primary difference between the current and previous MLB stints for Kjerstad, his playing time.
In his previous trip to the majors, a seven-game run between May and June, he received 14 at-bats. He batted .143 in that span.
For reference, in his first seven games during this stint, Kjerstad took 20 trips to the plate, and batted .350.
The sample size would indicate he needs an everyday role to produce. That’s not uncommon for young players.
Whether or not he’ll find it on a Baltimore team with World Series’ aspirations is to be determined.
Brandon Hyde on Kjerstad: ‘He’s Got That Power Potential’
Orioles’ skipper Brandon Hyde met with reporters following the series win over the Athletics.
When asked about Kjerstad, he acknowledged the rookie’s power and newfound success.
“He’s given us a boost, got that power potential, and he’s taking good at-bats,” Hyde told reporters on July 7. “He’s popping one every once in a while and getting some big hits for us.”
For a Baltimore team that leads MLB in home runs, and by a wide margin, Kjerstad’s play is the kind of boost that will only continue to separate them from the league’s best.
The Orioles are 57-33 and three games ahead of the New York Yankees for the AL East lead.
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