Every year since 2015, Kiké Hernandez has seen more plate appearances — and every season his production has improved. In 2018, Hernandez played in 145 games and posted the highest WAR of his career (3.3) — a full two wins higher than any other season of his career.
Part of the reason for the boost was his career-high 21 home runs, 67 runs and 52 RBI — all while playing every position on the diamond other than catcher.
An even deeper dive, however, shows the real reason for his increase in value: Hernandez essentially ceased to be a strictly platoon player.