D.J. Stewart, the Orioles’ first-round pick in 2015, spent his first full season in professional baseball dealing with something he now realizes every player has on his path to the majors: failure.
And when he returned home after the minor league season ended, his message to himself to deal with that was simple.
“I get to play again,” Stewart told himself. “Baseball, you can go 3-for-10 and you’re considered a Hall of Famer. I get to continue playing. Every day is going to be a work in progress. It’s the first time I’ve struggled before, but if you don’t struggle now, then you’re the best player ever, right?