2015 Will Be Year Yasiel Puig's Star Goes Supernova

Here's a thought that should keep National League pitchers awake at night: Yasiel Puig is poised to crank up his game.

That'll be something to witness because the Los Angeles Dodgers' irrepressible outfielder is already cranked pretty high.

After bursting onto the scene in 2013 like a bat-flipping comet, Puig did his version of a "sophomore slump" last season. I put that in quotes because while he struggled at times, his final line—.296/.382/.480, 16 HR, 69 RBI—is one most players would take, thank you very much.

The biggest knock against the Cuban import—besides his demonstrative antics—has been his occasional mental lapses, losing focus on the field or showing up late for practice.

Last spring, he reported to camp lugging extra bulk, sparking questions about his conditioning and commitment.

"We're paying attention to it, put it that way," manager Don Mattingly said at the time, per ESPNLosAngeles.com's Mark Saxon.

Puig got off to a hot start, but his performance tailed off in the second half; his average dipped more than 30 points after the All-Star break and he hit just four home runs.

This year, he arrived at the Dodgers' spring facility early, in better shape and with a fresh mindset. "Now, I have a greater commitment to myself, to the team, to the public," he told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Sure, talk is cheap, but count hitting coach Mark McGwire among the believers.

"He doesn't have to be here," McGwire said, per Hernandez. "He's been here a week prior to when he's supposed to be here. He could have stayed away today, but look at what he's doing."

Veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins, acquired by the Dodgers this winter, also gave his stamp of approval, per USA Today's Jorge L. Ortiz:

"

From what I see and what I've heard, he's inserting himself into more of a team role, as opposed to just, '[No.] 66, Yasiel Puig.' And that's good for everybody, but even more so, it's good for him. If you get the guys in your team to like you and respect you, the outside will follow.

"

Maturity and a team-first attitude are important; no question. But Puig's game, by definition, is a high-wire act. He's aggressive, he's rash, he takes chances. When it works, it's sublime. It can also backfire.

Like on Friday, when Puig got his first hit of the spring, a looping single against the Milwaukee Brewers, and was promptly thrown out after taking a dangerously wide turn around first.

It's frustrating. At the same time, it's Puig being Puig.

"If I change that, I'm not me," Puig told Hernandez. "You can't compare Latin Americans to Americans. We always try to enjoy the game. We'll always get excited when we hit home runs or throw someone out."

So what's a reasonable expectation for Puig in his third big league campaign? Steamer foretells a .291/.369/.490 slash line with 22 home runs, and ZiPS basically agrees, per FanGraphs. 

Here's betting Puig vaults past those perfectly respectable projections and launches his game into the stratosphere.

In fact, with Clayton Kershaw still at the height of his powers, we could see two Dodgers duking it out for the NL MVP Award, as L.A. tries to win its first championship in more than a quarter-century.

Remember, doubters: Puig is still just 24 years old, an age when many highly touted players are still breaking into the league. 

Love him or loathe him, he's one of baseball's elite, indelible five-tool studs. And, again, he might just be getting started.

Sleep tight, pitchers.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.