Colby Rasmus' Bat Making a Name for Himself (by Tyler Cobb)

Describing himself as both lost and at times alone during his rookie season with the Cardinals, Colby Rasmus has finally found his magnetic north.

He's going on instinct.

The Cardinals' second-year center fielder has stormed ahead with a 10-game tear that has him leading the National League in both on-base percentage (.487) and slugging percentage (.754) following Thursday's game. Hitting cleanup, Rasmus singled twice, reached base in all of his four plate appearances, and scored four runs in the 10-4 drubbing of Atlanta.

During the Cardinals' four-game sweep of the Braves, Rasmus hit .600 (six for 10), walked six times and scored seven runs.

is place atop the NL in two telling categories is all the more remarkable considering the two donut holes in his month. Rasmus went six games on an 0-for-15 jag, and he didn't get his first base hit against a lefty until Wednesday.

Rasmus has stirred since then, batting .485 and slugging 1.030 in his previous 10 games.

But it's not just hits that hint at Rasmus' rise.

The 23-year-old center fielder has a team-high 17 walks, just one short this month of what he had in either half of last season. He also has been one of the team's most fluid and savvy baserunners and has hit more homers than any Cardinal not named Pujols. To illustrate the budding talent his teammates have seen this month in Rasmus, Thursday's starter Adam Wainwright described a pitch Rasmus didn't hit.

That's also a pretty good reason for Rasmus' surge this month.

Rasmus said part of his discomfort last season stemmed from a lack of a feel for the strike zone. He'd strike out on pitches he believed were balls, and then he'd expand the zone and swing at pitches that actually were. He lacked faith in what a couple teammates described as his "instinctive talent."

It also didn't help that his weight and health flagged midway through the season. He's learning to enhance his stamina through Matt Holliday's workouts and by drinking protein shakes.

He's also starring behind the scenes.

In the weight room, the Cardinals keep records, and Rasmus, at 200, and Holliday, a hulk at 235, are jockeying for leads in the "explosive" drills. Strength coach Pete Prinzi said Rasmus leads in the squat and back categories; Holliday in another leg test and chest. In the squat drill, the player has to lift 250 pounds and the record is based on his explosive power with one rapid lift. Rasmus has the current lead at 1,400 watts of power generated, Prinzi said.

After Thursday's four-run game, Rasmus headed to the weight room figuring he could get a good workout before leaving and plenty of rest before tonight's game. Despite all the numbers he's putting up, from a .487 on-base percentage to 1,400 watts in weight lifting, he's got one number in mind.

Being strong for 162-plus games.

"I'm just playing the game," Rasmus said. "I come in every (day), drink my protein shake and start thinking about what the pitcher is going to try to do to me. Then I go out there and compete. My goal every time is to beat that pitcher. Just beat him. That could be with a walk. That could be taking some good swings. It's not going to be a hit every time. Just a battle."