Aybar increases his value by mastering all infield positions

Nick Christensen

Thursday, April 21, 2005 | 9:43 a.m.

They've moved him from shortstop to second to third, and each time Willy Aybar has shown the Dodgers something worth moving him up for.

Aybar, now playing third base for the Las Vegas 51s, is off to a great start in his first Triple-A season, going 1-for-3 in Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Salt Lake Stingers at Cashman Field.

He moved to second base so he could be an insurance player for the Dodgers' Alex Cora. When the Dodgers let go of Cora for Jeff Kent last winter, Aybar's next move was to third, a position he's still working on mastering.

"Third base is his position," Las Vegas manager Jerry Royster said. "Right now he's a little off. He's a good defensive player at third base. He's just getting back into it. He's got some footwork issues, that's causing him to miss some balls. In time he'll be fine. I'm not too concerned about his defense."

So far, Aybar's logged two errors this year in 11 games, nine of those played at third.

Dodgers farm director Terry Collins said Aybar will have more flexibility defensively later in the season.

"By the time the season's over, he'll be playing second also," Collins said.

While his defensive position has been in flux, Aybar's offense has surged. He's hitting .375 to start 2005, far above his best season, when he hit .276 at Double-A Jacksonville.

"Yeah, I'm surprised," Aybar said. "I work hard every day, so it's easy."

Royster said the key to Aybar's success is the way he approaches his at-bats.

"He's off to a good start," Royster said. "He's been real aggressive and that really helps in this league. If we can get the rest of our guys to be aggressive in attacking the strike zone, we'd be in great shape."

Aybar has six extra-base hits, seven RBIs and six strikeouts in 45 at-bats this season. He's walked three times.

"That has made him the prospect that he is," Royster said. "His aggressiveness, attacking the strike zone at all costs. Not one person in L.A. knows what the count was when he hit a three-run home run. They don't have any idea what the count is -- all they know is he hit a three-run homer."

Aybar said it's also about knowing what to expect when a pitch is coming.

"When I'm at 3-0, I look for a fastball," said Aybar, a native of the Dominican Republic. "When pitcher throw fastball, I swing fastball."

Aybar spent four seasons at Single-A, two of those years at Vero Beach, where he caught Collins' attention.

"He always hit at Vero," Collins said. "He played a good year at Vero, he drove in some runs. He had a good knowledge of the strike zone, and he moves fast for a young guy."

In two seasons at Vero Beach, Aybar had 139 RBIs.

Royster said that there's still room for improvement in Aybar's game, even on the offensive end.

"In knowledge of the game, playing the game -- playing each hitter defensively," Royster said. "Running the bases, getting the signs, all the little things. He is swinging the bat good. Defensively he's got good hands but he's got to learn when to play in, play back and so forth."

For his part, Aybar set a high standard for success, particularly for a guy who has 45 home runs in his career.

"When I hit .300 maybe, with 20 home runs," he said.