Twenty-five-year-old Dodgers outfielder / pinch-hitter Jonny Deluca has had exactly 36 official at-bats in his thus far 22-game / 46-day MLB career. The Thousand Oaks, CA native and Dodgers 25th round draft pick in 2019 (that’s not a typo) out of the University of Oregon has nine hits in those 36 at-bats, two of which were home runs. That’s two more home runs than 33-year-old Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes has in his thus far 62 games and 102 official at-bats this season.

Deluca also has one double, scored five runs, driven in six runs, and has one stolen base. By comparison, Barnes has two doubles, scored four runs, and driven in five runs. He does, however, have two stolen bases, so there’s that.

Now this isn’t intended to be a bag-on-Austin-Barnes piece, but rather a quick piece on the Dodgers newest fan favorite – Jonny Deluca – who, during Saturday’s 16-3 rout of the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX, slugged has second home run, a three-run / 417-foot shot to left-center field, in the top of the ninth inning after having replaced Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman‘s spot in the line-up in the bottom of the eighth.

“He may surprise other people, but he’s not surprising me. I know what he’s capable of. I know what kind of person he is,” Dodgers perennial All-Star infielder / outfielder Mookie Betts recently said of Deluca.

That’s some pretty high praise from a guy who knows a thing or two about great offense and defense.

Keep on keeping on, Jonny D!

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