Padres' Gyorko on 2014: 'I maybe put a little too much pressure on myself'

San Diego Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko spent the first 82 games of last season under the Mendoza line.   

He finished with a .210 average.

That was the type of frustrating year the 2010 second-round pick endured –a season removed from a rookie campaign in which he slashed .249/.301/.444 with 23 home runs – though he admits parts of his struggles were self-inflicted.

"I think I maybe put a little too much pressure on myself," Gyorko told Corey Brock of MLB.com. "We were struggling as a team. And I think all of us, not just myself, felt like we needed to come up with that big hit to get us going. It's hard to hit when you put that kind of pressure on yourself."

The Padres' offense was anemic a season ago and the struggles weren't limited to Gyorko. The team collectively ranked 28th in the league in home runs (109) while finishing last in average (.226), on-base percentage (.292) and slugging (.342). 

Newly minted general manager A.J. Preller put his stamp on the team over the offseason, adding Wil Myers, Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, Derek Norris and Will Middlebrooks to help rejuvenate a stagnant offense. 

Despite an influx of new faces, Gyorko is one of three incumbent starters likely to reprise their roles this season and manager Bud Black is confident the 26-year-old will return to form. 

"We saw in 2013 what Jedd can be, and I think there's more to Jedd based on 2013," Black said. "I think last year there were a lot of factors that went into his season that he expected or adjusted to, but that is something he's hopefully learned from. It's a tough game. You've got to work and stay on top of it. In that regard, I think he learned a lot."