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Some hitters rake from pretty much their first day in the big leagues. In recent seasons, precocious talents such as Ronald Acuña Jr., Pete Alonso, Cody Bellinger and Juan Soto have immediately announced themselves as stars.
But more often, finding your footing against Major League pitching takes time. It requires players to adjust, and teams and fans to exercise patience. The rewards can be sweet, though.
So who might make that jump in 2021? MLB.com convened five reporters to draft 10 candidates five from the American League and five from the National League. While “breakout hitter” could have a number of definitions, we stuck to the following criteria:
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DENVER First baseman C.J. Cron, who in the last two seasons has shown promising power while also dealing with injuries, has reached an agreement with the Rockies on a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
Cron, 31, spent last season with the Tigers and
Every hitter has tendencies. Some have a knack for lifting the ball in the air and others for keeping it on the ground. Some love to pull the ball, while others frequently go to the opposite field.
Whatever they like to do, we can capture and contextualize it using tools