Cutting-edge ballplayer
Westlake shortstop Cutter Dykstra is poised for a breakout season
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

Cutter Dykstra

Bigger, stronger, faster and, he hopes, better.

Since the conclusion of his sophomore season, Westlake High's Cutter Dykstra has worked nonstop to perfect his skills on the baseball diamond.

From competing in last summer's Area Code Games in Long Beach- a collection of some of the finest high school talent in the nation- to a workout regimen that helped him add close to 10 pounds during the offseason, Dykstra and his head coach, Mike Lee, believe the shortstop is primed for a breakout year.

"I did good last year, but it wasn't really up to my standards," said the 17-year-old son of former major leaguer Lenny Dykstra.

"I know I could've done better, and that's why I set my mind to it. If I want to play ball at the next level- the Division I level- or get drafted out of high school, which is my main goal, I knew I needed to lift my game."

As a sophomore in his second varsity season, Dykstra posted a .326 batting average with 29 runs scored, 15 RBI and four home runs. He finished second on the team with 18 stolen bases in 20 attempts and had an outstanding on-base percentage of .431.

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers HARD WORK PAYS OFF- Warrior junior Cutter Dykstra fields a ball during Monday's practice session. Dykstra will bat leadoff for Westlake this season and hopes to steal a lot of bases in the process. He's already made a verbal commitment to UCLA.

Projected as Westlake's leadoff hitter this season, Dykstra, who has already made a verbal commitment to UCLA, said he expects to wreak havoc on the base paths.

"When scouts are looking at me, the first thing they recognize is my speed," he said. "I think I can be one of the top base stealers in California."

Alan Matthews, an associate editor for Baseball America, saw Dykstra play in Long Beach and said he projects to be a solid prospect if he can continue to improve.

"I thought he had above average bat speed," Matthews said. "He's also an above average runner. But his swing needs some work. He'll drop his hands and has somewhat of an uppercut. His approach kind of vacillates from at-bat to at-bat.

"But that's to be understood. When we're talking about a kid who's just about to enter his junior year of high school, the physical tools are paramount, and those were evident."

Like Dykstra, Lee also has lofty goals for his shortstop this year. And like Matthews, Lee knows there's always room for improvement.

"I need for him to get on base half the time, and that's what we both expect," the coach said. "He'll hit the occasional home run for us and knock in some RBIs, but we need him to be on base a little more. His speed alone can change a game."

Defensively, Dykstra struggled at times a year ago, especially during the first half of the season. He finished with 21 errors and a fielding percentage of just .822.

Lee said from the second half of last season to now Dykstra's defense has improved dramatically.

"It's night and day," Lee said. "He had a very solid second half, a very solid summer, and that's just rolled right into (the present)."

According to Dykstra, his fielding issues had little to do with technique. The problem, he said, was a mental one.

"When people look at me, I don't want them to think I can't play shortstop," he said.

"The one thing that really helped my confidence was the Area Code Games. I was one of only a few juniors there, and the only junior infielder.

"Playing with all those guys who already have Division I scholarships really gave me confidence. I knew I could do this because I'm just as good, if not better, than all those players. It helped me snap out of it and believe I was one of the best shortstops in the state," he said.

If Dykstra sounds selfassured, it's because he is, just like his father was during his professional baseball career.

Lenny Dykstra, nicknamed "Nails" for his unbridled toughness, played 12 seasons in the major leagues. He was a member of the 1986 world champion New York Mets and won a National League pennant with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993, a year in which he finished second to Barry Bonds in the MVP voting.

Cutter wasn't around for the Mets' championship run, but he does remember spending time with his dad when Lenny was playing in Philadelphia.

"It wasn't until third or fourth grade that I realized, 'Wow, my dad . . . he's an insane ballplayer.'"

Cutter said his father has helped him deal with the mental part of baseball over the years. And although Lenny's shadow can loom large at times, Cutter said he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I don't feel pressure at all," he said. "I like people looking at me and saying, 'That's Lenny Dykstra's kid. Wow, he plays just like his dad.'

"That's what I want to play like. That's what I want to look like. Down the road, I want to do exactly what my dad did by playing in the major leagues and winning a World Series."