Yasiel Puig showed the value of working smart, not hard, with an incredibly nonchalant catch
One of the best pieces of advice out there is to work smarter, not harder. Not only will you be at least as productive as your needlessly hardworking peers, but you'll reduce burnout in the long run as well. It's really a win-win.
Nothing in baseball captures the ethic of "work smarter, not harder" than defensive shifts and positioning, more generally. Observe Yasiel Puig working smart on this fly ball from Jose Rondon thanks to impeccable positioning in right field:
.@YasielPuig read the scouting report. 😂 pic.twitter.com/z2VTQMryXQ
— MLB (@MLB) March 20, 2019
Despite Puig's aggressively low-effort affect on the catch, it was just as much of a catch as any other. There's nothing at all wrong with that demeanor, whether it be in Spring Training or the World Series.
So, good job at scouting and positioning by Puig. Thanks to being able to work smart on this catch, he's made sure he'll have fresh legs for the start of the regular season.
Eric Chesterton is a writer for MLB.com. He is an appreciator of the stolen base, the bunt against the shift and nearly every unconventional uniform design. He eagerly awaits Jamie Moyer's inevitable comeback.
