Whats behind Yankees prospect Hoy Jun Parks surprise breakout?
BOSTON  Shortstop Hoy Jun Park has been such a sensation at Triple-A for the Yankees to that theyre trying him out in center field to see if he could handle it at the big-league level and provide a spark. The 25-year-old from South Korea has always been regarded as a mid-level prospect, never the cream of the crop. Yet hes been mashing for quite some time for the Railriders. Through 18 games since a promotion from Double-A Somerset, hes hit .328 with four homers, 15 RBI and a 1.092 OPS. Introducing Yankees Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers  According to Yankees hitting coordinator Dillon Lawson, its been all about being more aggressive, more assertive at the plate. Viewing himself as a slightly different hitter.  In other words, Park has learned to look to do damage. The intent that he swings with right now, its to drive the ball over the outfielder, Lawson said in a phone interview with NJ Advance Media. Hes obviously having a lot of success with that. Hes doing that, but also when not hes getting pitches he can accomplish that with, hes still willing to take his walk and get on first base and try and find other ways to score runs.  Buy Yankees tickets: StubHub, TicketSmarter  The Yankees gave Park a $1 million signing bonus at age 18 in 2014, thanks in large part to his strong arm and athleticism. Hes since developed into a patient hitter with the ability to drive the ball to both outfield gaps from the left side. Park was invited to Yankees big-league spring training this year, but not to the teams alternate site in 2020. He seemed to be turning a corner offensively in 2019, however, putting up a formidable .272 batting average and .733 OPS in 113 games at Double-A Trenton. Lawson said a new approach in Parks pregame routine has been huge. It doesnt have to be a massive amount of reps but his focus and the purpose behind each one of those reps has been really, really good this year, the coordinator said. He added that Park has done well in changing his mindset at the plate to become more dangerous. We all want to get hits, we all want to score runs, Lawson said.  and embracing that kind of identity as opposed to someone who just simply doesnt strike out. He can be someone that doesnt strike out along with someone who walks and also drives in runs. It was probably the last characteristic that he needed to kind of embrace. In 2019, that started. its gone beyond that this year.  He added that Park is a coachs dream to work with from a coachability standpoint. You couldnt be happier for him, Lawson added. Get Yankees text messages: Cut through the clutter of social media and text with beat writers and columnists. Plus, get breaking news, exclusive insight and analysis every day. Sign up now. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.