Today’s Camp Activities :
No bullpens today - pitchers worked on fielding practices instead on Ashburn Field. Position players took fielding practice on Carlton Field (catchers worked on their drills in the seven mounds area) and batting practice on Roberts Field. We watched two hours of batting practice this morning.
More of the major league staff has arrived - hitting coach Kevin Long is here as is bench coach Mike Calitri. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski is also here. It was great to see Manager Rob Thomson take the time to introduce himself and shake hands with each player who arrived at the cage for batting practice. I’ve always said a small gesture can go a long way in making a person feel acknowledged and good about themselves. The skipper watched almost the entirety of BP - I think that’s a big deal as well - the only other manager I’ve seen do that in the time I’ve been writing about the minors was Gabe Kapler, perhaps not a coincidence that both gentlemen have player development backgrounds. Mr. Dombrowski also introduced or reacquainted himself with many players - maybe it’s just me but I think that’s really cool - just sayin 😎.
Wind was blowing in this morning so not as many souvenir baseballs for the alligators in the creek behind the fences of Roberts Field. From my view Avery Owusu-Asiedu had a strong session - just hits everything hard. TJayy Walton, Hendry Mendez, Angel Mata, Marcus Lee Sang, Nikau Pouaka-Grego, AJ Shaver, Kehden Hettiger, Emaarion Boyd, Devin Saltiban, Aidan Miller, Jordan Viars and Felix Reyes all made hard contact in their work as well. Saltiban drives the ball really well, he’s not the biggest fella however he certainly puts a charge into his connections - has seemingly advanced hit tools for a young man who’s just 18 years old 👀.
Player Spotlight :
3B,1B, LF,RF - Felix Reyes - 22 years old - signed as an international free agent 2/22/20 - Bani, Dominican Republic
2023 Stats : played in 77 games between Clearwater and Jersey Shore posting a .263/.307/.407 slash line with 9 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and 68 RBIs, drew 18 walks. Was an RBI machine for Clearwater posting 62 in 67 games. He hit .500 in the playoffs for Jersey Shore going 4 for 8 with a double and triple, was intentionally walked in the last playoff game because he was swinging the bat so well. Defensively played third base - .952 fielding percentage in 83 chances and first base - .974 fielding percentage in 235 chances.
2023 Notes : began the season in extended spring training, was promoted to Clearwater on 5/3/23 and to Jersey Shore on 8/25/23. On September 3rd hit a grand slam walk off home run for Jersey Shore that was vital in keeping their playoff chances alive. Felix is a right handed hitter with enormous strength and power, when he connects the ball goes a very long way. We’ve seen him play now three seasons after he first arrived at Carpenter Complex in 2021. He’s a big fella at 6’4” and before this spring he played defensively at either first base or in an outfield corner. Foot speed is a challenge however in extended spring training this year we saw him make multiple athletic plays at shortstop where he was filling in. It would be a mistake to label him as a “DH type” because of that, he transitioned to third base nicely this summer, has a decent arm and quick instincts. It’s that sound when a powerful hitter squares the ball up that gets ya off your feet to see how far it went that remains the intrigue, Felix has that capability, it’s something we noted the past two years in backfield FCL play and it came to light even more this summer. The challenge ahead is maintaining consistency, can’t teach the power and strength he possesses. He’s also a favorite amongst his teammates, upbeat and a great attitude. Felix played winter league baseball as well in the Colombian Winter League.
Felix’s reflections : “Every day, every moment you learn something new, I learned mostly to enjoy the game. In the 2024 season, continue working as hard as you can on whatever you are working on.”
FCL Manager Shawn Williams : “Played some shortstop in extended spring. Has good hands and arm, we figured it could only help him to get a few innings there and it did, made some very athletic plays. Always has a smile, great personality. Loves the game, so refreshing to watch someone like that play. He can hit, has power and bat to ball skills. Big body, can play both corners and the outfield.”
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
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