`Trust is everything' for slugger Hernandez

Looking back at it now, there was a reason the Houston Astros were ready to give up on Teoscar Hernandez when they traded him away in a July 2017 deadline deal.

Sure, he had talent and potential, but at that point, the outfielder hadn't figured it all out yet. Now into the peak years of his career, the Blue Jays are the beneficiaries of the Astros' lack of patience — as is Hernandez himself.

“I'm a completely different player now,” Hernandez said. “When I got to the Jays, I didn't really know where to go when things went wrong and I didn't know how to think.

“Now that I'm older, I've grown as a person and a player and as a teammate.”

That would be an understatement.

Coming off a season with career highs in homers (32), hits (163) and RBIS (116) Hernandez hits at the heart of manager Charlie Montoyo's batting order. And from his perspective, Hernandez says that confidence has driven his evolution towards being an elite hitter.

“Trust for me is everything,” Hernandez said after a workout in the batting cage on Tuesday.

“Before, I didn't trust in the things that I've got. Now that I understand that, I can do a lot of things. Because of that, it's easier for me to take it to the field and have the success I've had the last few years.”

Where it is most beneficial is to reduce the length of slumps.

“Now if I (struggle), it's for five games or 20 at-bats instead of 40,” Hernandez said. “When you start thinking negative things, that's when the slump goes longer. Now I know my mechanics are there. I know I'm going to hit. I just trust myself.”