SCOTTSDALE — Spring training is a great time for fans to watch top prospects compete with big league stars, and the Arizona Diamondbacks have supplied many opportunities with Ryan Waldschmidt, Jose Fernandez and Tommy Troy garnering attention.
At the same time, the Diamondbacks would benefit greatly from a couple young players who graduated prospect status last year taking the next steps in their development, as it is more likely Jorge Barrosa and Tim Tawa will be tasked with adding big league depth when the regular seasons begins.
Both players have the traits to be valuable role players for Arizona. They are fast, athletic and can fill in at multiple positions, with Barrosa a plus defender at all three outfield spots and Tawa able to play all over the diamond. Barrosa is a 5-foot-6 switch-hitter who frequently reached base and showed sneaky pop in the minor leagues, while Tawa blasted 31 home runs in 2024.
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They each ran into trouble against big league pitching last season, however, when Tawa and Barrosa hit .201 and .141, respectively.
Barrosa (25) and Tawa (26) are at an important stage of their careers.
They made the major leagues but must prove they can stick. The Diamondbacks have questions with the back end of the starting lineup and bench, particularly early when their injured list will be long and the schedule daunting. Barrosa and Tawa went into the offseason focused on making the adjustments necessary to fill roles for a club that could use leaps from its youngsters to raise the floor of this roster.
Jorge Barrosa’s adjustments
Despite his smaller frame, Barrosa expanded the zone last year in his major league at-bats, chasing at a 35% clip (28% league average) and striking out 22 times with only two walks in 77 plate appearances, according to Statcast.
That’s not in line with his minor league track record, rather a sign of a player trying to do too much on the grand stage.
“Just play for the team, that’s one thing that you’re always trying to do,” Barrosa told Arizona Sports. “Be able to recognize more pitches and be patient, be more patient. Just swing at the right pitches. A lot of the guys that I’m learning from are (Lourdes Gurriel Jr.), I always talk to him. (Ildemaro Vargas). They always talk to me about game situations.”
Barrosa said he wants to see a lot more pitches this year, making the pitcher work before facing the bigger bats atop the order.
The Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System should be a useful tool, which Barrosa has experience with in the minor leagues. The ABS strike zone is slightly tighter than the average umpire’s zone, particularly at the top and bottom. Barrosa said he felt there were some high strikes called against him last year, and the ABS system should help with that.
Part of Barrosa’s approach focus, he said, is doing a better job of staying behind the baseball and trusting himself instead of getting too far out front. He can drive the ball, hitting 29 doubles in only 93 Triple-A games last year.
“I would say a lot with the hitting coaches is about approach, about mentality, what you’re going to do, where you want to see the ball, where you want the ball to start,” Barrosa said. “Be confident in your work that you put in the cages and be able to execute it in the game. … Don’t try to do too much.”
Manager Torey Lovullo said at the start of camp that Barrosa knows this is a big spring for him to compete, noting that pitch selection will be key.
Arizona’s Opening Day outfield projects to be Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas and Jordan Lawlar, with Lawlar getting his feet wet in center field this spring.
That would leave a bench spot for Barrosa as the fourth outfielder who could provide value as a defensive replacement, pinch runner or a pinch hitter for the right matchup. With Arizona’s top prospect being an outfielder (Waldschmidt) knocking at the door, along with Gurriel progressing faster than expected from a torn ACL, a light outfield could become pretty crowded sooner than later.
Barrosa also has no minor league options remaining, adding a level of urgency to perform.
Tim Tawa’s adjustments
Tawa was rolling when he got to the major leagues for the first time last year. The right-handed hitter clocked four home runs with two doubles and eight walks in his first 14 games. The pop he showed in the minor leagues was evident, but from there, pitchers peppered him with breaking balls and the strikeouts piled up.
So, Tawa went to work with Arizona’s hitting coaches this offseason to make both approach and physical adjustments.
“The approach is obviously a big part of it, and it’s important being able to control the zone and I’ve tried to put a big emphasis on that so far in my at-bats,” Tawa said.
“But I was feeling more like I was steep, and where my hands were loading, it was just tough to consistently get to the right spot and then have my bat path be the right way. So just trying to eliminate the variability, be a little bit more consistent just by having a little bit more of a set position and just be a little more point A to point B.”
Tawa feeling more balanced has been a positive sign this spring, he said, that allows him to be on more pitches. He’s off to a solid start, slashing .286/.400/.476 in 21 at-bats with a home run.
Lovullo said Tawa could fill into a Ben Zobrist-type role with his versatility, harkening back to the utility man who helped the Kansas City Royals and Chicago Cubs win championships during the mid-2010s. Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez are right-handed utility players who have benefited the Los Angeles Dodgers for years.
Blaze Alexander had been described with that potential before he was traded to Baltimore this offseason, which presents an opportunity for someone else to handle the do-it-all job.
Tawa played all three outfield spots, second base, third base and first base last season for the Diamondbacks. He has played mostly second base this spring but will continue to move around. He is not expected to play shortstop, but the ability to fill into other infield spots and the outfield should create playing time opportunities.
The Diamondbacks’ roster will change as the season progresses with players returning from injury or earning call-ups. That should create a level of internal competition all year for players with years of MLB service time or others getting started like Tawa and Barrosa.
from Arizona Sports https://ift.tt/BH7Md5O
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