Cano Plans To Learn From His Rocky '08

From Bryan Hoch:

Robinson Cano's first cracks at a renewed 2009 are taking shape in the Dominican Winter League, where the Yankees second baseman is incorporating adjustments to his approach and finding success.

Cano was dissatisfied with the way his '08 campaign played out. He finished batting .271 with 14 home runs and 72 RBIs in 159 games -- his first season after signing a four-year, $30 million pact with New York.

He vowed that he would take measures to avoid a repeat of the frustrating experience, and quickly linked with a personal trainer to help trim body fat and get in better shape for the spring.

"It's a year that I'm going to learn from and not be back in this situation again," Cano said in September. "This is a year that you can just say, 'OK, this is not happening again.'"

"You're going to see a huge difference visually," (Kevin) Long said. "You'll see less movement, an explosive, compact swing, and you'll probably see more home runs. I think his average will go way up, and I think his walks will go way up."

Cano is hitting .306/.405/.472 with 7 RBI, 1 SB, and 9 runs scored with Estrellas de Oriente in the Dominican League.

You can't base much off his performance in the DWL, but it's very good to see that he's drawing walks, and most importantly that he's putting in the work needed to improve himself as a ballplayer. I think 2009 will be a very successful year for Robinson Cano.