Nothing diminishes Dexter Fowler’s spirit.
Not a dismal Rockies season that’s perhaps headed toward 100 losses. Not the critics. Not Fowler’s own ups and downs.
Every day, the 26-year-old center fielder arrives in the Rockies’ clubhouse with a spark in his eyes and a spring in his step. Fowler’s love of the game, physical gifts and commitment to a punishing offseason workout routine have helped him achieve the kind of consistent success previously lacking.
He entered Friday’s game against the Padres hitting .292 with a league-best eight triples. His 10 home runs are double that of last season.
“In my opinion, right now, he’s in the best place he’s ever been offensively since he arrived in the big leagues,” said Rockies manager Jim Tracy.
It wasn’t always thus; Fowler had an awful spring training, then hit just .239 in April. By May 15, his average had dropped to .219. His dismal .318 on-base percentage forced him out of the leadoff spot. Since, however, he’s hit .350 and his OBP has risen to .386. His 34 walks lead the team.
“I’d be telling you a lie if I said I wasn’t happy with how I’m playing,” Fowler said. “But at the same time, I wish the win-loss column was different. I think I’ve turned it around, and I think this team can turn it around.”
Finding consistent discipline at the plate has long been Fowler’s biggest challenge, but Tracy is seeing him make strides.
“What is dramatically improving before our eyes is his pitch recognition — what’s a strike and what’s a ball — especially on breaking balls when Dex is up there as a left-hander,” Tracy said. “He’s doing a much better job of recognizing that pitch quickly.”
Fowler has developed enough as a hitter to be able to make pitchers pay for mistakes. Of Fowler’s 63 hits this season, 28 have been for extra bases.
“When pitchers make a mistake and Dex gets a hittable pitch, he’s not fouling it off, he’s driving the ball and putting it in play,” Tracy said.
Eager to build off his strong second-half finish to 2011, Fowler worked out during the offseason in Las Vegas with teammates Troy Tulowitzki and Jason Giambi. Following a strict diet and intense workout regiment, Fowler added 7 pounds of muscle, increasing his weight to 193 pounds, but losing no quickness.
“My body feels really good right now,” Fowler said. “I don’t feel tired or down. Physically I’m there — mentally too. That’s a big part of it. If you are feeling tired out there, it’s going to wear on your mind. So those workout days are paying off for me now.”
Not everything is perfect. Fowler leads the Rockies with 63 strikeouts and a strikeout rate of 29 percent. He’s hitting .346 at Coors Field, but only .209 away from home.
Fowler is discovering how to block out his critics and find an even keel mentally.
“This is baseball, so you are going to have your ups and you are going to have your downs. It’s a natural part of the game,” he said. “It’s a matter of learning how to go out there and minimize those downs. I’m discovering how to do that.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
