Following his second full season as the Mets primary shortstop, Amed Rosario knows he still has some work to do on defense. Which is why, according to The Daily News, he's enlisted the help of defensive guru Perry Hill.
Rosario said he's spent the offseason with Hill -- currently serving as the Mariners' first base and infield coach -- in Tampa to see what he can do to become a more dependable infielder.
"I started working on different defensive points where I can improve my game," Rosario said. "I feel pretty comfortable with it."
Hill is well-regarded around the league for his ability to improve players' defense. When he was hired by the Mariners prior to the the start of last season, his impact was immediately felt.
"Oh man, I think he saved my career, honestly," Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford said during Spring Training. "I was having a problem where I couldn't point them out or see them, and I took groundballs with him for a day and he fixed me and got me right."
The Daily News also lists Dee Gordon, Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell and others who have been influenced by Hill's defensive teachings.
Rosario points to a lack of confidence as part of the reasons for his struggles on defense last season, especially following an eight-day stretch in which he committed seven errors.
"That week stretch or two week stretch that I had was really, really tough but at the same time I knew that I couldn't put my head down or feel bad for myself," Rosario said. "I just knew I had to correct the mistakes I was making and eventually just keep on going and I knew things would get better."
Rosario finished the season with 17 errors, tied for ninth-most in all of baseball. According to Fangraphs, he had -16 Defensive Runs Saved, worst among all National League shortstops.
But Rosario improved as the season went on, and made just three errors from July 27 until the end of the season.
"I have to prepare the same way that I was in the second half of the season," Rosario said. "Just go out there, have fun, put in the work and really just put the numbers up and prove it."