Wil Myers

With Hosmer penciled in at first, Wil Myers likely to start in right field

Published Mar. 14, 2018 7:43 p.m. ET

John Horvath

From now until Spring Training concludes, Fox Sports San Diego will preview each player at each position that is in big league camp.

Previous position previews:

Starting pitchers

Catchers

First base

Second base

Shortstop

Third Base

Today, we will look at right field, where Wil Myers is expected to return after playing the last two seasons at first base on an everyday basis.

Favorite to start: Wil Myers

With Eric Hosmer on their mind, the Padres approached Wil Myers this offseason with a question: If we were to sign the All-Star first baseman, would you head back to the outfield?

The 27-year-old was reportedly more than happy to change positions, and brought along his outfield glove to camp. When San Diego reached an agreement with Hosmer, Myers put away his first baseman's glove and headed to the outfield.

Initially, there was some confusion as to where Myers would play in the outfield. Center field, where he struggled in 2015 and talented CF Manny Margot currently resides, was obviously out of the question. Some thought that he would head to left field, but it was made clear early in spring that the 2016 All-Star would start in right field.

Myers, who spent his first three major league seasons in RF with Tampa Bay, has generally been graded as a below-average outfield defender. Manager Andy Green and outfield coach Skip Schumaker think that he can be better than that. Myers was the fastest first baseman in baseball last year and should be among the quicker right fielders in the game. The North Carolina native has been putting in extra work with Schumaker to improve on his defense, with the first-year coach saying that he believes Myers could win a gold glove in right:

https://twitter.com/AJCassavell/status/967904735935123456

Whether he can smoothly transition to right field remains to be seen. The Padres believe he is up to the task.

At the plate, Myers hit a relatively disappointing .243/.328/.464 with a career-high 27.7% strikeout rate in 2017. Despite what some might consider a "down" year, he did join Mike Trout as one of only two players to hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases. His 30/20 season was the third such season in Padres history, as only Ryan Klesko and Steve Finley had previously accomplished the feat.

The Padres are hoping the addition of Eric Hosmer will give Wil Myers some protection in the lineup. Myers also added 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason and saw a sport psychologist to work on his mindset. All of this, the Padres and Myers are hoping, will lead to his best big-league season to date.

Backup options in right field:

Others in camp:

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Wil Myers

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