VIERA, Fla. -- Of the six position players working out at the Nationals' complex with hitting coach Rick Eckstein on Saturday, first baseman Nick Johnson was the most intriguing.

It looked like Johnson didn't miss a beat in the batting cage, hitting nothing but line drives to right field.

"Man, that guy can hit," infielder/outfielder Willie Harris said about Johnson.

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The fact that Johnson has found his groove with the bat this early is a major accomplishment, considering that he played only 38 games the past two seasons because of a broken right leg and a tendon injury in his right wrist.

"The swing felt good," Johnson said. "I have to continue working on different things. I want the good feel that I'm looking for. [The wrist] is not pain-free, but it's pretty close. The more I swing, the better it feels."

There isn't much to complain about when it comes to Johnson's hitting. He is a patient hitter, and his .396 career on-base percentage backs it up.

However, Eckstein believes Johnson can do better. For the past week, Eckstein and Johnson have spent hours looking at video of Johnson's swing, and Eckstein came to the conclusion that Johnson needed to change his approach at the plate. Eckstein doesn't want Johnson to alter his swing when he hits a ball to the opposite field, and he wants the location of the pitch to determine where the ball goes.

This is the first time since Johnson was in high school that he's had to change his hitting approach significantly at the plate.

"You know that Nick is a very disciplined hitter and has a very good eye at the plate," Eckstein said. "But when you watch the way he gets into a position to hit balls, that's what fluctuates. So what we are trying to establish is, what is his 'A' position to deliver his 'A' swing? Hitting is about feel."

Johnson agreed that his approach at the plate over the years was "backwards."

"Right now, I know it's early, but it seems more freer," Johnson said. "There is just a couple of more things that I have to do. I seem to put a pretty good swing on the ball."