This Reggie has a style all his own

Reggie Willits is flattered by the many and obvious comparisons to David Eckstein, another leadoff hitter whose hustle and heart outweigh his small stature.

“That’s a pretty big compliment. I definitely don’t think I am where he’s at yet,” Willits said of Eckstein, a catalyst in the Angels’ 2002 World Series championship and the most valuable player in the St. Louis Cardinals’ title run last season.

“He’s proven it over several years, and he’s done a great job.”

And Willits loves it when the Angel Stadium crowd turns his first name into a sing-song chant, like the serenade offered a generation ago to another Reggie named Jackson.

“I’m not really sure why they do it,” Willits said in the soft drawl of his native Oklahoma. “It’s humbling to hear something like that. For them to recognize you like that, to care enough about you, that means a lot.”

They care about him, and for good reason.

Not because he’s another Eckstein or a power hitter in the mold of Jackson. Or even a clone of Kenny Lofton, to whom he pays tribute by wearing uniform number 77.

He’s the first Reggie Willits, with all the wonderful possibilities that entails.

The 26-year-old outfielder began this season as a reserve but cracked the lineup after Garret Anderson suffered a hip injury April 27. Now, it seems as if he has always been there, hustling for an extra base, stirrups worn high, red and proud.

Willits went two for three with two walks, a run scored and a run batted in Saturday as the Angels swamped the Pirates, 10-1, padding his batting average to .352 and his on-base percentage to .449 and remaining in the top three in the American League in both categories.

It was another gem in a jewelry store’s worth of sterling performances. Including a career-best four-hit game Friday, Willits is 11 for 20 with five runs scored and six RBIs over the first five games of this nine-game homestand. By the time the Angels leave for Baltimore this week, their lead over Oakland in the AL West might be deep into double digits -- and Willits deserves a chunk of the credit.

“The last six or eight weeks, I think our offense has been as consistent as any in baseball,” Manager Mike Scioscia said after his team pounded out 17 hits -- 10 against a quality pitcher in right-hander Ian Snell.

“And we’re doing it without home runs. Guys are getting on base and making the most of it.”

The Angels are 24-7 in games in which Willits has scored a run, and they’re 25-11 when he has batted in the leadoff position, as he did Saturday. Willits, who had few enough at-bats last season to still be a rookie, is becoming the heart of this team, a prolific, never-say-die bunch whose 48 victories is the most in the major leagues.

Willits is aggressive on the basepaths, where he has 18 steals and has been caught twice. There are no statistics to measure how often he has pressured an outfielder into making a throwing error or how often he has prolonged an offensive flurry with patience at the plate and sheer grit.

“Fans are certainly drawn to players for different reasons, and I think it’s obvious why they’re drawn to Reggie Willits, as they’re drawn to David Eckstein or Adam Kennedy,” Scioscia said. “I think there’s a blue-collar element. He’s very well perceived....

“It’s understandable why he’d be well received, just because of the effort he gives. He never gives up on a play, he never gives up on a ballgame. That’s something fans can sense.”

They can sense the drive behind his improvement at every level. A natural right-handed hitter, he began hitting left-handed while in high school.

“My coach said that with my speed I should try and get out of the box a little quicker, build up a bunting game,” he said. “When I got to college that was the first time I really did it a lot.

“Then, as I kind of learned, I was thankful somebody kind of pushed me in that direction, because it’s been valuable for me.”

He doesn’t have to be told something twice. Advised to reduce his strikeouts and be more discerning, he went from 112 strikeouts at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2004 to 78 at double-A Arkansas in 2005 and 50 with triple-A Salt Lake last season.

Scioscia saw Willits’ potential but didn’t know if he could make the adjustments required for success at the major league level.

“Reggie had some very clear challenges that he had to get over, and he’s done it as well as anybody I’ve ever seen,” Scioscia said.

Willits said he isn’t surprised by his success because he has always been confident -- but don’t confuse that with arrogance. He continues to work hard every day, getting comfortable with deep counts and learning how to maximize every at-bat.

“I’m definitely not where I need to be,” he said. “There are a lot of things I see that I need to do to become a better hitter and a better player. Hopefully that will happen over the next few years, if they let me stay around.”

The Angels just might keep him, even though he’s not a second helping of David Eckstein and not the power hitter the other Reggie was. He’s Reggie Willits, and that has been more than enough to excite everyone who sees him.

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Helene Elliott can be reached at helene.elliott@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Elliott, go to latimes.com/elliott.