Overreaction or reality? Takeaways from the Cardinals first Spring Training game

Paul DeJong looks confident at the plate, ready to bounce back

After back-to-back down seasons for Paul DeJong, the Cardinals' former starting shortstop is facing a make or break Spring Training. The good news for DeJong is that he looked great in his first-game action.

Standing in as the Cardinals DH on Saturday, DeJong drove a slider into the left-center gap for a double in the third inning and then worked a walk later in the game. DeJong's new approach at the plate, specifically getting rid of his big stride, was on full display during his at-bats.

While DeJong did look good in his first game action, it is way too early to take anything major away from his performance. He's looked good in small spurts before, so DeJong will need a much larger sample size to turn opinions of him around.

Overreaction or reality? Overreaction. DeJong still has a lot to prove to the Cardinals' brass.