The Quiet Excellence and Evolution of Jonny DeLuca

Four years later, DeLuca has established himself as a regular on a surging Tampa Bay squad. As one of the many question marks in an outfield that needed to improve from last season’s lackluster collective performance, DeLuca has been part of the solution to fixing the once messy unit.

The well-roundedness he’s been characterized by throughout his career has really started to take shape this season. A smart approach at the plate, surprising power output, and glovework that has shone at all three outfield positions have made him an under-the-radar linchpin in the Rays' offense.

When digging into DeLuca’s advanced numbers, there are some key improvements that stand out. For one, he’s joined the growing number of players augmenting their swing to gain bat speed. Perhaps it’s the effect of playing alongside the hardest swinger in baseball, Junior Caminero, as he’s upped his average bat speed a whopping near three miles per hour.

This 70.8 mph to 73.7 mph difference is meaningful in that every 1 mph increase in bat speed equals a 1.2 mph increase in potential exit velocity, according to Driveline Baseball. This helps to explain how DeLuca has already set his highest single-season mark in home runs, along with another swing decision improvement.

That swing decision improvement comes from his newfound prowess attacking cutters. Always better against hard stuff than offspeed, DeLuca has taken it to a new level this season, especially against the trending cut fastball.

Analyzing the leaderboards for run value against the cutter this season, DeLuca stands out as a surprise among top hitters as one of the top cutter bashers. His .476 batting average against the cutter is outstanding and adds another wrinkle to his scouting report as he continues to improve as a hitter.

As his bat speed picks up and pitch recognition improves, DeLuca is becoming the player the Rays have always envisioned him to be. An agile and speedy athlete, his sterling defense, worth 6 outs above average and within the top 15 of outfielders this season, has helped make him an all-around valuable piece. With the offense and defense now in lockstep, DeLuca is on track to cement a role in this Tampa Bay outfield for the foreseeable future.