Toronto Blue Jays Prospect Max Pentecost has spent several years around a baseball diamond. The 24-year-old has spent even more time seeing from the dugout instead compared to catching behind the plate.

Composed 11th total in 2014, he has undertaken 3 shoulder surgical procedures but it’s offered Pentecost a lot of time to show and find out about himself.

” I had the ability to look back and see the game from a various perspective rather than being in it. At the exact same time, I was able to obtain an understanding on just how my body jobs and also responds,” Pentecost informed CBC Sports at heaven Jays’ annual novice positioning camp last January. ” It’s helped me get to where I am currently.”

The Winder, Ga., native will likely begin the period with double-A New Hampshire and also has split time as an assigned player as well as catcher at this year’s big league springtime training.

” The best part is being able to watch other catchers and how they might set up a hitter or how they’re working with that pitcher. I can translate that into whenever I do catch,” Pentecost said..

From a catching perspective, you can see their footwork.

Pentecost’s attention to detail helps his approach at the plate, where he’s not just hacking blindly. He thinks like a pitcher and looks for tendencies — pitches at certain points in the count..

Entering Friday’s spring training game, the right-handed hitter had struggled with only a pair of hits and two runs batted in over 18 plate appearances. Pentecost’s past has shown he’s a proven hitter.

He had a career.343 batting average in three years at Kennesaw State University and it’s translated into the minor leagues where he’s hit.294 in three seasons and three different levels of A-ball.

Pentecost has contributed when healthy — all of which has made things more frustrating for the oft-injured catcher. The questions surrounding Pentecost’s health played a role in the Blue Jays’ decision to expose him in the Rule 5 draft.

Suddenly, Pentecost faced the possibility of leaving the organization he ever knew but he doesn’t blame the team one bit for their decision.

” I was hoping I ‘d get protected but not being able to get on the field and produce, why should I expect them to protect me, especially when others were really producing,” Pentecost said. “It kind of lit a fire under me, ‘I got ta get something going.’ I still hope to have a great future with this program and work from there.”.

Pentecost is happy to be back playing and experiencing the adrenaline of game action. He missed the camaraderie and clubhouse atmosphere.

In his absence, Pentecost has been surpassed by other prospects on the depth chart. Last year, Danny Jansen climbed from Class A Dunedin to triple-A Buffalo while Reese McGuire earned a spot on Toronto’s 40-man roster after a productive season with New Hampshire.

From a catching perspective, you can see their footwork.” I was hoping I ‘d get protected but not being able to get on the field and produce, why should I expect them to protect me, especially when others were really producing,” Pentecost said. I still hope to have a great future with this program and work from there.”.

Pentecost doesn’t mind the competition understanding it’s just mosting likely to assist all events.

” We all press each other. We wish most of us make it to the major leagues. There’s 29 other teams that potentially need a catcher so ideally someday, 2 of us will certainly be capturing versus each other in a major league video game,” Pentecost stated.

Seeing various other members of his draft course progress to the majors hasn’t been simple for Pentecost, however he identifies that some points are out of his control.

” Catchers take a little bit longer just because they got ta find out the video game. They remain in control and it takes a while to get the right way of thinking. That’s just what I’m servicing now,” Pentecost stated.

Given that his college days, Pentecost always tried to grow with the video game. The six-foot-two catcher claims he never ever wanted to hit a factor where he had not been improving. Pentecost was never satisfied despite winning the Johnny Bench honor as the leading catcher in NCAA Division I baseball and also being a finalist for university player of the year.

In 2014, Blue Jays Prospect Max Pentecost led the Kennesaw State Owls to their very first championship game. (Phil Sears/Associated Press).
He takes a great deal of pride in all elements of catching and also places it on himself if a pitcher is battling. Pentecost says it’s up to him to get them from a funk as well as component of that is constructing a connection.

” A lot of it is in-game– you learn their tendencies, hop on the very same page … you got ta understand just how their mind works, what they escape of, and also exactly what could bring them back up if something takes place,” Pentecost said.

There’s 29 various other groups that possibly require a catcher so ideally one day, two of us will be capturing versus each other in a big league game,” Pentecost claimed.

That’s just what I’m functioning on now,” Pentecost stated.

Considering that his college days, Pentecost constantly tried to grow with the game.