Jeren Kendall hit 15 homers at Vanderbilt University this season, but the dynamic outfielder’s focus as he begins his professional career with the Dodgers will be to put the ball in play — and not so much out of play — more consistently.
Kendall, a first-round pick who signed for $2.9 million last week, had 74 strikeouts and 24 walks in 261 at-bats, acceptable numbers for a pure power hitter but not one with the speed of Kendall, who had 10 doubles, five triples and was successful on 20 of 24 stolen-base attempts.
“You see high strikeout numbers with guys who hit the ball out of park, that’s part of their job,” Kendall said on a conference call Sunday.