From the day he arrived in Oakland, it was clear Matt Chapman was an elite defender. His offense, however, has been a work in progress.
Chapman made his big league debut in 2017 at the age of 24. The A's third baseman played in 84 games that season, hitting just .234 with 92 strikeouts in 290 at-bats, a strikeout rate of 32 percent.
The first half of the 2018 season didn't go much better for Chapman, who slashed .250/.342/..434 with 10 home runs and 17 doubles in 81 games. But something clicked after the All-Star break and Chapman caught fire. In 64 games, he posted a .309//371/.591 slash line with 14 homers and a league-leading 25 doubles.
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So what happened? Well, to put it simply, Chapman stopped swinging at pitches out of the strike zone.
"For me, it really is pitch selection and making sure I'm hunting the pitches I'm looking for," Chapman told NBC Sports California. "I used to let a certain pitch get me off of my plan or let the situation or count change my approach. I would try to do too much. I feel like I've gotten better at being more disciplined to stay in my zone and use my strengths."
Added A's manager Bob Melvin: "He knows where that outside corner is now. He's not striking out nearly as much as he did, even in the minor leagues. It was a quick study once he got here. After about the halfway point, he figured out the strike zone."
In 12 games this season, Chapman is slashing .268/.375/.537 and has struck out just five times in 41 at-bats, a rate of 12 percent.
Oakland Athletics
"He's walking a lot and he's not striking out nearly as much as he used to in his career," Melvin said. "He's got some power and he gets big hits."
"I feel like I'm starting to turn into the hitter I want to be," Chapman added. "I feel like I've always been capable of doing those things. Even in the minor leagues, I was better than the numbers I was putting up. ... In high school and college, I was always hitting for a higher average and still had power and the walks. But then in the minor leagues, I kind of had to take some ups and downs and I wasn't exactly where I wanted to be. I just kept working hard. I knew that I was capable of more and I feel like I still am."
To Chapman's point, he only hit .244 in his four minor league seasons from 2014-17. He credits A's hitting coach Darren Bush for his improved plate discipline.
"A lot of work with Bushy," Chapman stressed. "Bushy really, really has helped me. ... And watching guys like Jed (Lowrie) last year and KD (Khris Davis), just the way they go about their business. KD is ultra-aggressive, but I feel like he's really good at laying off the tough pitches. He's aggressive to his pitch but, at the same time, he doesn't chase too much. That's really what my thought process is."
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Other managers around the league have taken notice of Chapman's production at the plate, including Red Sox skipper Alex Cora.
"He controls the strike zone, he gets to pitches on the edges of the strike zone, he goes the other way," Cora praised. "He's the total package."
Chapman notes that he still has plenty of room for improvement, but his confidence in the batter's box has increased dramatically in the last year.
"I'm just happy to be able to find some consistency," he said. "I feel like I've found a swing that works for me. My swing right now helps me trust my approach and know that I can have success, with power, if I'm swinging at the right pitches."