Padres' Myers 'shooting for' 40-HR, 40-steal season
Wil Myers has no intention of slowing down after inking a six-year, $83-million extension in the offseason.
The San Diego Padres first baseman made his 2017 goals abundantly clear Thursday as he reported to the club's spring training complex: He wants to achieve just the fifth 40-40 season in MLB history.
"After the season, I just thought to myself, 'Why not set the bar very high for myself and give me that high goal I want to shoot for?'" Myers told reporters, according to MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. "I think it's something that definitely can be done.
"Obviously, that's the highest peak. But it's something I'm shooting for."
While Myers will need a substantial improvement from his 2016 performance - he finished with 28 home runs and 28 steals last season - the feat would immediately put him among MLB's upper echelon of all-time greats. No Padre has ever reached the milestone, with Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Jose Canseco the only four members of the elusive club.
But Padres skipper Andy Green doesn't feel the mark is out of reach for the 26-year-old.
"Anything's possible for Wil," Green said, according to Cassavell. "I'm glad he's got big goals out in front of him. The main goal I have is very process-oriented for him - that through the ups and downs of a Major League Baseball season, he stays consistent with who he is in the clubhouse and as a person.
"If he stays consistent, his unbelievable ability will play out."