Colin Willis got back to basics.
Stay disciplined. Drive with the legs.
And perhaps above all, simply relax.
The tweaks have added up as the Railcats’ outfielder has found his groove.
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As the RailCats opened a six-game homestand Friday night at the Steel Yard against Sioux City, Willis was batting .414 (12-for-29) in his previous eight games. He had at least one hit in seven of those games, with multiple hits in four.
After his average dropped to .182 on June 5, Willis’ hot streak has helped raise that to .262 wto go along with team highs of three homers and 14 RBIs.
This year has been an adjustment for Willis, last season’s American Association Rookie of the Year. He has taken on a more central role, including serving as the cleanup hitter.
“It’s a little bit different,” Willis said. “You have to be patient, but you also have to be ready to hit at any moment. They’re more careful with you, more cautious, and you don’t get as much over the plate.
“I don’t see as many fastballs as I did. They mix it up a little bit more. I have to be focused and locked in at all moments because you never know if you’re going to get a good pitch to hit — fastball, breaking ball or even a change-up.”
Willis was named the league’s player of the week for June 4 to 10, hitting .440 (11-for-25) with two homers — both on Sunday at Fargo-Moorhead for the first multihomer game of his career — and six RBIs.
He was the team’s first weekly award winner since Braulio Torres-Perez was pitcher of the week last June, and the team’s first player of the week since Frank Martinez in August 2016.
“It was a surprise,” Willis said of the award. “I wasn’t even thinking about it. Every day, I’m just trying to get better and feel more comfortable at the plate. You just keep working and keep having a positive mindset.”
Willis took that approach even as he bounced around various leagues following a hall of fame career at Purdue North Central that concluded in 2015.
His perseverance paid off with his breakthrough last season, when he had a .319 average with a team-best eight homers. He was second with 49 RBIs.
“The year became a magical year for him,” Railcats manager Greg Tagert said. “It couldn’t have worked out any better after all his trials and tribulations.”
Tagert theorized self-imposed increased pressure and expectations took a toll on the 25-year-old Willis. Tagert held him out of the lineup on June 3 against Fargo.
“I didn’t sit him because he was struggling, I sat him because he was starting to have concerns,” Tagert said. “I told him, ‘The only time you need to worry is if I worry. Otherwise, just keep doing what you’re doing every day.’
“What he found out this year, all of a sudden, he’s in the No. 4 spot. Everywhere he goes it says ‘reigning Rookie of the Year.’ He’s on our website. We have him on pocket schedules. Well, he’s not a secret anymore. He’s not flying under the radar, but he just has to keep improving and trying to become a complete player.”
Willis has been mindful of the process. With more playing time, he has been diligent working out to take care of his body. He has focused on having a healthier diet, eating more protein and drinking more water.
“I don’t know if he’ll be able to follow up on the year he had last year,” Tagert said. “But we’re relying on him — he’s that important to our ballclub. We’re not going to have the kind of success we want unless Colin Willis has an impact year.”