Justin O’Conner has a bright future with the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s just the present that’s a problem for the preseason No. 3-ranked prospect. O’Conner has struggled most of the season at the plate, but a strong two weeks including a 3-for-5 night on May 26 against the Jackson Generals may have helped the 23-year old catcher turn his 2015 around.
“I’m in a little bit of a rut right now,” O’Conner said. “I’ve been in them before and you just have to take them day-by-day and grind it out. You have to keep a level head. It’s baseball. It’s a game of failure. I just have to weather the ups and down and try to get past it.”
The rut seems to be wrapping up, though O’Conner’s average will take a while to really show it. Currently he’s batting .199 with 17 RBIs, four home runs and five doubles. His 50 strikeouts have him on pace to set a career high.
#Rays Rays catching prospect Justin O'Conner cranked three hits Tuesday in a win for Double-A Montgomery. http://t.co/Q1qiobeqlu
— MLB Daily Lineups (@DailyMLBLineups) May 27, 2015
In his last 10 games, he’s turned it around, going hitless in only one game once and batting .263 with six RBIs in that span. His 11 strikeouts are still high, but he’s lowered the pace of those too.
It’s easy to look at a prospect like O’Conner and think he should be further along, but the Rays know what they’re doing. O’Conner was a first-round draft pick out of Cowan High School in Muncie, Ind. He went straight from the graduation stage to spring training with the Rays and even in the rookie league was nearly two years younger than every other player.
“It’s been a journey, that’s for sure,” O’Conner said. “When I look back, it is surprising that it’s been that long. I’m just trying to stay focused every day and helping my team win.”
O’Conner has experienced his struggles with the bat in the past, but a strong 2014 seemed to put that in the past. O’Conner opened the season with the High–A Charlotte Stone Crabs and was promoted to Double-A after 80 games where he hit .282 with31 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 44 RBIs. He played just 21 games with the Montgomery Biscuits last year, but still batted .263.
“It’s baseball. It’s a game of failure,” O’Conner said. “I just have to weather the ups and down and try to get past it.”
O’Conner was always going to be a project. The Rays drafted him to play catcher and he’d never been behind the dish a game in his life. In that position, he’s excelled, with a good arm and quick release.
Byron Buxton just learned to not run on Justin O'Conner. Gunned down at 2nd in Top 8. #ProspectDuel
— Montgomery Biscuits (@BiscuitBaseball) April 13, 2015
The Rays scouts earned their pay for seeing that potential in O’Conner, but now the Biscuits hitting coach has to earn his. O’Conner is far too undisciplined and seems to be looking to dig himself out of his hole every time he steps into the batters’ box.
“I’m just refining my game and perfecting my craft,” O’Conner said. “I’m still working on everything. Everything can get better. Receiving, game calling and getting with pitchers. I need to get the best out of them every day.”
O’Conner started out slow last season too. Not this slow, but he still managed to turn it around and there’s no reason to think his pitch identification and control can’t improve. At the very least, he needs to leave the bat on his shoulder and not chase. Double-A pitchers have his number so far, so he’s got to come up with a new one. O’Conner is already a good enough defensive catcher to play at the major league level. But without at least a mid .250 average at the plate, he’ll always be struggling to stay on a roster.
“I want to have fun. That’s the main thing,” O’Conner said. “I want to win with this team, but whatever team I’m on I want to win and try to help my pitchers.”
Rays Farm System
The Rays have nearly cleared their farm system of the top-ranked prospects. Pitchers Alex Colome and Nathan Karns are already with the big league club as is centerfielder Mikie Mahtook. Second baseman Ryan Brett has played in three games with Tampa, but has spent the rest of the time with the Durham Bulls and needs to work on his approach at the plate almost as much as O’Conner.
