Phillies’ Battle of Rookies
Inside the sun-drenched stadium, hopes and dreams are among the bats, gloves and balls in the dugout of the Philadelphia Phillies, while prospects learn from veterans during spring training.
The Catcher and the Why:
Somewhere between exhilaration and disappointment is the vision driving a person to exceed their boundaries, real or perceived.
In February, general managers only make a deal if an opportunity presents itself. In other words, another GM has a regular blocking a highly touted youngster, an injury occurs, or a bargain is available for the taking. With, however, green talent, management uses this baseball yardstick: elite speed, 95-mph smoke or concourse-reaching power.
For general manager Matt Klentak, a healthy season provides durability he can count on. Additionally, good fortune is jumping from Double-A to the majors; for instance, Vince Velasquez again bypassed Triple-A last summer. On the other hand, outfielder Roman Quinn and catcher Jorge Alfaro began this camp with a “ticket” to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Quinn’s problem is playing a whole campaign, while Alfaro had difficulty as a September call-up.
Watching another practice, two Phillies scouts were paying attention to Alfaro and receiver Andrew Knapp. Why? Well, the backup spot behind Cameron Rupp is a clue: They know one or the other will be playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in April if either can win the job. Not the easiest task.
If neither rookie impresses enough to make the squad, Klentak has two non-roster backstops to compete for that role. He added those catchers on minor league contracts as stopgaps if things don’t go according to plan. The GM signed Bryan Holaday in late December and Ryan Hanigan a month later.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “But there was also a little of that thing they say about New Englanders: Being from here doesn’t prevent me from doing anything, it just prevents me from enjoying it.” – Carlton Fisk
As the Phillies’ second-round draft selection behind J.P. Crawford in 2013, Knapp appeared to come from nowhere when fans spotted him before his solid 2016 in Allentown. Initially, Crawford’s media coverage had overshadowed the receiver. However, after Knapp hit .262 for the Single-A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, he blossomed at Double-A for the Reading Fightin Phils with a .360 average in 2015. The brass noticed!
At the batting cage, Alfaro stepped to the plate; he was the one the scouts came to see. They smiled as he launched one well over Frenchy’s Tiki Pavilion and then another over the scoreboard. Health-wise, he only missed three weeks until May 7 last year with a right oblique strain, which in addition to good stats is why Klentak gave the youngster a September call-up; but eight strikeouts in 17 plate appearances put doubts in many organizational minds. That stated, will strong spring numbers be enough?
IN OTHER WORDS: “A catcher and his body are like the outlaw and his horse. He’s got to ride that nag till it drops.” – Johnny Bench
Next: MLB’s Non-Negotiable Ritual
Before they left, one scout remarked about another player’s solid swing, while the second replied that this catcher will be seeing some time at first base, too. And his ability to bat left-handed will allow him back up Rupp and Tommy Joseph also. What was his name again? Knapp.