In his 126 plate appearances of 2013, the young Latino has rocked a .409 batting average for the Dodgers with a .736 slugging percentage. He wins with his feet and his defense too, flashing a catapult when runners are foolish enough to test his arm. His arrival in the lineup has coincided with big blue rejuvenation that now puts L.A. at .500, just 1.5 games out of first place.
But nobody's talking about Hanley Ramirez.
The 29-year-old shortstop is reminding baseball fans what stoked Marlin fans from '06-'10. Returning from thumb surgery at season's start and a hamstring injury in May, Ramirez has out-Puig'ed Yasiel and is now leading the team in Wins Against Replacement in just 36 games.
It's a tribute to Puig that he could make all the HanRam controversy evaporate. After posting an MVP-contending .313/.385/.521 line with 196 steals in his first five years, Ramirez lost his mojo in '11 and '12. He appears to have rediscovered it over the last calendar year, during which he is hitting at career norms. If he sustains it, he'll be back in the conversation as best shortstop in the world.
The Dodgers are smack-dab in the NL West race thanks in large part to Puig and Ramirez, and they'll need the pair's continued aptitude -- though not necessarily at such extremes -- to remain in the hunt. A full year of this and the Cuban sensation won't be enough to prevent us from noticing that Hanley Ramirez is back.
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