CLEARWATER, Fla. — Pitchers aside, perhaps no position better exemplifies how far the Phillies have come in their accumulation of minor-league talent than catcher. It was just a few short years ago they were thin from top to bottom in future receivers, with derailed prospects like Sebastian Valle and Tommy Joseph heading that depth chart on the farm.
The development of 2013 second-round pick Andrew Knapp and the acquisition of Jorge Alfaro in the Cole Hamels trade last summer have turned things around. Alfaro is the bigger name, the player with more perceived upside and a well-rounded game, and that's probably a good thing for Knapp, who's done nothing but hit for a year straight.
Knapp, 23, hit .360/.419/.631 in 55 games last season at Double A Reading, earning an invite to his first big-league camp this year. On Thursday, he batted third for the Phillies and caught Jake Thompson, just like he did last year at Double A. And just as he did at Double A, the switch-hitting Knapp had a multi-hit game, including a single off veteran right-hander Doug Fister.
He feels like this last year has been the best offensive stretch of his life, save for some struggles in the Arizona Fall League that taught him how to deal with top-notch pitching.
"I think I've just kind of gotten more consistent with my approach," Knapp said. "I went to the Fall League and didn't really play as well as I wanted to. I kind of learned a little bit from that, faced a lot of really good pitching out there and just tightened up some stuff. And I feel comfortable in the box right now, seeing pitches. I feel good."
The Phillies want Knapp to be better behind the plate and he recognizes that. He made some strides last season, according to Reading manager Dusty Wathan, but calling a game for major-league pitchers is a skill acquired over time.
The Phils have worked with Knapp extensively this camp with footwork behind the plate and blocking balls, but it's the game within the game he's most focused on improving right now. And who better to learn from than Carlos Ruiz, who managed some of the best starting pitchers of this era over the last handful of seasons in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt?
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"I've been picking Chooch's brain as much as possible. He's got so much knowledge. It's been fun to hang out with him," Knapp said.
"Just like situational stuff — what are you gonna do with a guy at third [base] and less than two outs? How are you gonna pitch to hitters when maybe the pitcher doesn't have his best stuff? How are you gonna get him through an inning? It's been nice to soak all that information in."
Knapp considers gaining more of that knowledge and managing the running game his main goals in 2016, a season he'll likely start at Triple A Lehigh Valley as he tries to push toward the bigs. He's not looking over his shoulder at Alfaro, but Knapp knows he's there and it just adds another element of competition to this whole thing.
"We're both our own player and you can't really worry about other people like that," Knapp said. "But it's nice having a guy like that who can push you. It makes you both better players."