Yonder Alonso has enjoyed a burst in power thanks to a commitment to improving himself as a hitter.

"I know there's been a lot of talk about how he's trying to improve his launch angle. None of that's true," Oakland Athletics hitting coach Darren Bush said. "All he's trying to do is be in position and execute a good swing, and the by-product is the ball is going the way that it should."

Alonso began to have more success at the plate towards the end of last season, when he started incorporating a front leg kick to initiate his swing. Bush said the leg kick simply helps Alonso get into the position he needs to be in to start his swing.

"If you watch his video from last year and compare it to this year, last year he'd get his foot down early, and then he’d re-start and try to execute his swing. It's tough to do," Bush said. "This year, his leg kick is just on time. He's given himself time to read the pitch, he's given himself time to execute his swing. In my mind, he hasn't changed anything. The only thing he's changed is the position he's in before he executes his swing.

"He doesn't have a two-part swing. It's just one fluid swing."