FORT MYERS, FLA. – Joe Mauer stepped into the batter's box this week to take his first swings of spring training, and he immediately noticed a difference.
His plan was to serve balls up the middle, and he executed that plan. But the line drives were coming easier than in recent springs. He noticed that his bat speed was a little quicker that it has been, and he wanted to do more.
"It's kind of like, 'Slow down, take it easy, and just ease into it,' " he said. "But I am excited. I feel really good, and I'm trying to slow myself down and not try to do everything right away."
Hold the presses. Mauer is excited.
It's a result largely of the offseason work Mauer put in with St. Paul stretching guru Roger Erickson. And it's a potentially positive development for a Twins offense that could be pretty productive in 2015 if St. Paul's own can approach the form that has made him a three-time batting champion.
The Twins finished seventh in the majors in runs scored — producing more runs than six playoff teams. Yes, that underscores the importance of pitching and defense, but that's another story for another day.
The output came during Mauer's worst season as major leaguer. He batted just .277 with four home runs and 55 RBI. He missed 34 games because of an oblique muscle strain. His first full season of playing exclusively first base was a bust, as his .371 slugging percentage ranked 22nd among first basemen. Not only did the Twins have some of the worst first base production in the league last season, they also were near the bottom in production by a No. 3 hitter, where Mauer batted most of the season.
So Mauer's excitement over his physical state is a potential boost to a team optimistic about its ability to score runs. There are developing players in Danny Santana, Kennys Vargas and Oswaldo Arcia, a combo power-speed player in Brian Dozier, an improving run producer in Trevor Plouffe and a returning Torii Hunter.