Outfielder Robbie Podorsky made his first appearance this season with the TinCaps on May 18. When he joined the team from High-A Lake Elsinore, Fort Wayne was 17-22 and near the bottom of the Eastern Division standings.

Over the next six weeks, the TinCaps ripped off their best stretch of the season, going 27-19 and briefly ascending into first place in the second-half standings. Despite losing eight of 10 games since that stretch, Fort Wayne is still positioned to return to the Midwest League playoffs for a second straight season.

The 5-foot-7 Podorsky, who stands out for his diminutive size, speed and seemingly boundless energy, has been one of the keys to the TinCaps' resurgence over the last two months. The former 25th-round pick has provided a spark near the top of the lineup and consistently wreaks havoc on the basepaths.

“You ever get one of those bouncy balls and you throw it against the wall and see it go all over the place? That's pretty much (Podorsky),” manager Anthony Contreras said after a raucous July 4 victory in which Podorsky had two hits including a three-run triple. “He's in here, very high energy from the time he steps in the clubhouse until the game's over, asking questions. He's a student of the game.”

Podorsky, 23, is playing his first full professional season after ripping through rookie ball at Tri-City in 2017. He collected a handful of at-bats with the TinCaps in the 2017 playoffs and played five games with High-A Lake Elsinore this year before being re-assigned to the TinCaps in mid-May. He was assigned to Tri-City in April but spent a few weeks in extended spring training before playing for Lake Elsinore.

Since then, the former McNeese State standout has been one of the league's most dangerous hitters, hitting a league-leading .356 since he arrived in Fort Wayne. His .410 on-base percentage also ranks second in the league in that span, both figures bolstered by a plethora of infield hits Podorsky earns with pure speed.

The right-handed hitter has also made some changes to his swing this season, trying to cut out some extraneous movement.

“I used to be kind of like a push hitter, where I would move a lot of my weight forward to hit, instead of letting the ball come to me,” Podorsky said. “I'm really trying to simplify everything, simplifying my approach, and it's working out pretty well so far.”

In addition to all the hits, the speedster has reaches base on errors because fielders must rush to throw Podorsky out. Regardless of how he gets on base, his presence there is a constant distraction for opposing pitchers.

In 45 games with the TinCaps, Podorsky has stolen 20 bases and been caught just five times. He ranks ninth in the Midwest League in steals despite missing the first six weeks of the league's schedule.

“(When I get on) is when I have to really dial in and focus,” Podorsky said. “Because my job's not done, it's just beginning. I have to get a good jump; I have to read the pitcher, the counts. There's a lot of moving parts, it's more than just speed.”

Of course, Podorsky has plenty of speed, what Contreras calls his “God-given talent.”

He's easily the team's fastest player, with only Jeisson Rosario and Esteury Ruiz coming close. This season, he's proven he can be a potent hitter as well. Still, he's had trouble in the past being taken seriously because of his size. He's also Fort Wayne's shortest player by 4 inches.

“Ever since I started listening to people, that's what they've been telling me, I'm too small to do everything,” Podorsky told TinCaps radio broadcaster Mike Maahs. “It's always been a chip on my shoulder, and it's something I still use today to help motivate me.”

The tactic has clearly worked this season and continues to do so despite Fort Wayne's recent slide, which included a 2-4 record on its recent road trip. Podorsky had hits in all five games he played on the trip and returns home on an 11-game hitting streak.

After starting the season at High-A, such numbers might get some players thinking about a potential return to the higher level. Not Podorsky.

“I'm not thinking about that at all,” he said.

dsinn@jg.net