Padres Breakout Star Opens Up on Dominant Spring as He Competes for Roster Spot

The San Diego Padres made a flurry of moves in February, after a winter filled with an ugly ownership lawsuit and the loss of the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes.

One of many moves included signing free agent first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets on a minor league deal.

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Sheets, 28, appeared in a career-high 139 games with the Chicago White Sox last season, slashing .233/.303/.357 with 10 home runs and 45 runs batted in. Sheets is one of many players competing for an Opening Day roster spot this spring, and is on track to do just that.

Sheets is 7-for-his-last-19 in Cactus League, after starting the spring with just two hits in his first 15 at-bats.

“I’m not gonna sit here and lie,” Sheet said, via The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee. “It feels really good to see the work and trust the work that we’ve been putting in, that it was going to translate and that I was going to be a player that they thought I could be in, that I was hoping to be. It’s been, it’s been a lot of work in here. … But I trusted these guys and what they had (as a) plan and just glad to see it come to fruition.”

Sheet's offensive resurgence this spring is thanks to a few swing changes that he's made under Padres hitting coach Victor Rodriguez.

“I’m just getting into a better launch position, being more athletic with my swing and body and trying to get my body in a position to get my A-swing off on every swing,” Sheets said. “That’s obviously what I’ve been able to do the last couple games. I’m excited about the changes.”

As Opening Day quickly approaches, it appears Sheets has a good chance of earning a roster spot with the Friars. He recently had a stretch of five home runs in four games.

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