How about David Bote?
The guy comes back up after a surprising option back to Iowa at the end of August, returning early only because Craig Kimbrel was put on the IL, and he immediately adds another dinger:
Extra point.#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/xrkrpWC990
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 6, 2019
Bote is now hitting .266/.362/.449 on the year, good for a 110 wRC+. Yes, the defense has been a weird issue this year for a guy who previously looked stellar at third and very good at second, but the bat is moving right along.
Consider this: Bote broke his toe in the first game of the season, playing through it (because that’s what the Cubs do with position players), and hit only .227/.312/.391 (81 wRC+) over the next month and a half (125 PAs).
After that? Perhaps when he was feeling better? All he’s done is be one of the best hitters on the team, right there with Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber – the last column is wRC+:
Cubs batters with at least 150 PAs since May 21 … surprise: pic.twitter.com/en0l5O4wjN
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) September 6, 2019
Bote has also seen his average exit velocity – which was way down to start the year – keep on climbing, and he’s now at 90.2 mph, 92nd in baseball, just behind Ronald Acuña, Jr.