Tyler O'Neill's Stats Since the All-Star Break Prove He's Emerging as Top Young Outfielder
By James.r
Tyler O'Neill has officially arrived in the MLB, and it looks like he's gonna be here for a while. While he looked pretty good in limited big league action last season, his performance this season has been far better, and it only continues to improve.
Just check out how he's hitting in the week following the All-Star break:
Since the All-Star Break, Tyler O'Neill leads all @MLB hitters in slugging pct (1.417) and OPS (1.917). pic.twitter.com/V1Cn46SNIx
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 16, 2019
Sure, it's a small sample size, but there's no denying that O'Neill has looked pretty special since being given more opportunity to play this season.
Overall in 32 games, the Cardinals former No. 4 prospect is batting .295 with 4 home runs –– albeit with a concerning 34 strikeouts. Still, though, this is very encouraging after O'Neill struggled a bit early in his MLB career coming off the bench as a fourth outfielder.
And for Cardinals fans excited about the way O'Neill's performing, don't forget he's less than a month removed from his 24th birthday, and has plenty of room to continue developing.
Tyler O'Neill with a home run to straight-away center!
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 16, 2019
*Disclaimer: This is not a replay of his earlier home run pic.twitter.com/1RYSy1JQWc
It looks like O'Neill has earned a starting spot in the Cardinals outfield until further notice. With the team in the midst of a heated divisional battle, that's the best thing they could have hoped for.