San Diego Padres’ first baseman Wil Myers certainly isn’t short on confidence. Myers originally dreamed of a 30 homerun, 30 stolen base campaign this season but as he arrived for spring training, a day earlier, his goals have changed.
Just slightly.
Myers’ wants a 40-40 season.
“After the season, I just thought to myself, ‘Why not set the bar very high for myself and give me that high goal I want to shoot for?'” Myers said. “I think it’s something that definitely can be done. Obviously, that’s the highest peak. But it’s something I’m shooting for.”
Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Jose Canseco are among the only players to accomplish the feat of 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season. Myers finished last season with 28 homers and 28 steals, joining Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout as the only players to post a 28-28 season last year.
“Anything’s possible for Wil,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “I’m glad he’s got big goals out in front of him. The main goal I have is very process-oriented for him — that through the ups and downs of a Major League Baseball season, he stays consistent with who he is in the clubhouse and as a person. If he stays consistent, his unbelievable ability will play out.”
Myers has certainly shown he has the ability to put up strong numbers. In June 2016, he was named National League Player of the Month by posting a 1.194 OPS and smacking 11 homers, the most by a Padre in the month of June in franchise history.
“The biggest thing with consistency is just reverting back to the experience I had last year when I was going through a tough time,” Myers said. “I was beating myself up in the cage, spending an hour, hour and a half a day trying to figure out my swing.
“This year I’m going to just kind of ride the wave. … I’m going to go through those tough times. Whenever it comes around, it will. You just go about your work the right way, and everything will turn out the way it’s supposed to.”
San Diego, who just lost the Chargers, would love a jolt of excitement and a huge season such as the one Myers is aiming for is exactly the type of excitement that could rally the city around the Padres more than ever before.