Stewart’s 20-20 season opens eyes

O’s 2015 first-round draft pick takes step forward in first season at Double-A Bowie

| Orioles prospect DJ Stewart says that while being one of just 10 minor leaguers to reach 20 home runs and 20 steals this year is indicative of his overall game, the 20 swipes are a “bigger statement” because they shed light on a part of his repertoire that can sometimes be overlooked.

No matter which part takes precedent, it all adds up to a season that has the Orioles hoping their 2015 first-round draft pick can’t be overlooked anymore, either.

“He really, each year, has stepped it up,” Bowie manager Gary Kendall said. “I know last year, coming from Delmarva to Frederick, it was better. Of course, coming here this year, never playing Double-A and to be able to put together such a solid season, not just with his power but his batting average has maintained all year, he’s been very consistent for us.”

The 23-year-old Stewart, Kendall said, “handles left-handed pitching, has done a really good job in left field for us and on the bases ... He’s a guy who can steal a base and looks to take extra bases and apply pressure on the defense. He’s had a really solid season, and nobody’s happier, I’m sure, than DJ, but we’re really happy for him. He’s worked really hard.”

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said the organization’s minor league Player of the Month for August has had “as solid an all-around season as anyone.”

In addition to his 21 home runs and 20 steals, Stewart ends the Eastern League regular season batting .278/.378/.481 with 26 doubles, a stark improvement on his professional debut in 2015.

Last year, Stewart was promoted at midseason from Low-A Delmarva to High-A Frederick batting .230/.366/.352 with four home runs, and in the second half for the Keys, he hit .279/.389/.448 with six home runs before heading west to play in the Arizona Fall League.

Over a full season in Bowie, Stewart has been able to translate the sharp batting eye and pitch recognition that was his calling card coming out of Florida State into better, more consistent results.

“I think the biggest thing is you’re looking for a certain pitch in a certain spot that you know you can do damage with, and then it depends on the situation of the game as well,” Stewart said. “For me, the biggest thing is just being more comfortable as the season has gone along in playing with guys like [Garabez] Rosa, [Austin] Hays, Cedric [Mullins], having those guys around me — Aderlin [Rodriguez] — those guys hitting around me, I know what they can do.

“I don’t have to put all the pressure on myself. I can take the walk if they don’t give me a pitch I know I can do damage with. I take the walk and let them do it. The biggest thing for me is just working the strike zone and when they do make the mistake — at this level they don’t make too many mistakes — when they do make the mistake, take advantage of it.”

That pressure, however, seems more game-based than from the outside. With the scrutiny and expectations that come with being a first-round pick, Stewart’s professional resume before this season didn’t measure up.

That’s what makes this season — and the 20-20 distinction he clinched last Sunday — so important.

“Obviously, you always like years when you have success, but I know who I am and I know what I’m capable of,” Stewart said. “The outside expectations don’t really affect me, honestly. Baseball is a game of failure, so you’re going to fail. It was early in my career, and I failed, but I learned from it. I learned to make adjustments and showed that I can learn form what I’ve done before and get better.”