2013 Panini Elite Extra Edition Baseball Card
Carlos Asuaje has been tearing the cover off the ball all season for Boston Red Sox Low-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive. He has put up an incredible triple slash line of .338/.473/.585 while seeing time at four different positions, not including a handful of games at DH. I had the chance to ask Carlos about his season to this point, the transition to pro ball, and his excellent approach at the plate.
Shaun Kernahan: You are on a team that has many prospects that came into the season with a lot of buzz, yet nobody can talk about the Greenville Drive without bringing up your hot start. You have a lot of the same teammates with Greenville as you did in Lowell last year, how has working with the same core of guys helped you improve coming into this year?
Carlos Asuaje: Starting this season off on the right foot is obviously something that has been a blessing for me. Last year I had a rough start and had to make up for it, but being more comfortable with my surroundings and my peers has definitely helped my game. I feel more confident on and off the field and my teammates are great supporters.
SK: Your numbers this year are already far exceeding the numbers you put up in short season ball last year, what do you attribute to your success this season?
CA: Hard work. There’s no way around it. This past offseason, I might have taken one day off to relax, but then I got right back on it and started working towards improving myself for my first spring training and full-season. I worked with a lot of big leaguers like Anthony Swarzak and J.D. Martinez and working with them really helped improve my game.
SK: How does the competition level in the South Atlantic League compare to the New York-Penn League?
CA: This league is pretty tough. I think a major difference between the two leagues is the amount of high-valued college players you find in the New-York Penn league. The SAL league has a lot of talented players, theres no doubt about it, but I think the Penn league has more college guys that are quality, experienced players that are coming right out of their season and are ready to compete.
SK: Who is the toughest pitcher you have faced thus far as a member of the Boston Red Sox organization?
CA: During spring training I faced Clay Buchholz. It was a cool experience; he was throwing some pitches that seemed to disappear. I went 1-3 off of him and actually hit him in the back with a line drive, but he had already struck me out by that point.
SK: Did you do anything new in your first off-season in pro ball to get yourself prepared for the long season that comes with playing a full season schedule?
CA: Yes, I worked very hard in the weight room to get prepared for this long season. I followed the workout manual our strength and conditioning coordinator gave us and it had proven to be quite effective.
SK: Your manager, Darren Fenster, has complimented your approach at the plate. At what level did approach at the plate become a real strength for you? Is there anyone’s approach at the plate you try to emulate?
CA: My approach has always been a great tool for me at the plate. I think being disciplined is just as important as having power or a good hit tool. It’s very hard to hit every pitch, but everyone can hit THEIR pitch consistently. As far as emulating people’s approach, I would like to think that I have a similar approach to some big league guys, but honestly I’ve tried to model my approach to the way Mookie Betts hits. He’s so disciplined and has similar strengths, so watching him hit has helped me a lot.
SK: You were a shortstop in college, scouts say you project best as a second baseman, but the majority of games played at the pro level have been at third base. What position are you most comfortable at? What is the difference in preparation defensively for each position? And what is the biggest challenge in changing positions?
CA: I feel most comfortable at second base. I’ve played a lot of second base coming up through college and I know the position very well. But I enjoy any position on the infield really. Shortstop is fun because you get so much action and there’s a lot more responsibility involved and third base is the hot corner so you always have to be on your toes and ready to go. The preparation for each is pretty much the same, but mentally there is a switch from the middle of the field to the hot corner. The biggest challenge in changing positions is just the mental approach to it. If you are mad that they are making you play a foreign position and don’t adjust your view of that spot, it could be something very difficult to do.
SK: You were born in Venezuela, but attended high school in the United States? What has been the biggest transition for you, the move to the States, high school to college, or college to pro ball?
CA: The biggest transition has definitely been from college to pro ball. In college you’re used to a lot of success and admiration, and once you get into pro ball, it’s completely different. Guys up here were all All-Americans, players of the year, etc. so no one cares how decorated you were in college. Everyone here is super talented and the biggest separator is the mental side of the game.