CLEVELAND -- Jason Kipnis stepped into the batting cage in Arizona last spring with a very specific goal. The Indians' second baseman felt he had more home runs in him than he hit in the previous season, and he wanted to team with Cleveland's hitting coaches to unlock that power.
It is one thing to have a goal. It is another to actually achieve it on the Major League stage. Last year, Kipnis belted a career-high 23 home runs and posted the best slugging percentage (.469) of his career. That was the product of tireless work in Spring Training, an improved mental approach and adjustments made throughout the season.