Talking Sports And Fitness With Zeke

Mitch Walding, the Reading Fightin Phils 6-4 third baseman with a sweet left-handed swing and power, tells Zeke about his remarkable Eastern League season so far. Walding struggled in his first three professional seasons, turning in low batting averages without much power as a mostly opposite-field hitter who couldn't hit inside fastballs. But Walding worked on pulling the ball and he has blossomed. Walding took a big step forward last year, homering 13 times in a season split between Clearwater and Reading. The 13 homers equaled the total of his first four pro seasons. Walding tells Zeke about his remarkable month of June this season in which he was named EL Player of the Month. He hit 13 homers in 25 June games, hitting .337 and driving in 27 runs. That surge had Walding leading the league in homers, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS in early July. His career once stuck in neutral, Walding seems on the fast track to the majors if he can hit consistently with power.