CLEARWATER, Fla. — Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro are both catching prospects in the Phillies organization, two of the better ones in baseball, in fact.
But for the last month they were sponges, soaking up every piece of knowledge possible during their time in major-league spring training camp.
“I just tried to learn as much as I could,” Knapp said. “For me to be able to stay this long was a blessing.”
Alfaro added, “I'm the kind of guy that likes to ask a lot of questions. I learned a lot. It was awesome.”
Knapp and Alfaro became the latest potential pieces of the Phillies’ future to be reassigned to minor-league camp in the last week on Friday morning. They were preceded by pitchers Jake Thompson, Mark Appel and Zach Eflin and position players Roman Quinn, Nick Williams and J.P. Crawford. It’s conceivable that each one of these players could get to Philadelphia at some point this season so the experience of time spent in the big-league environment was invaluable.
“It was nice to get in and meet everyone and kind of get that team feel,” Knapp said. “If I get up there this year, I’ll have that experience with me. That was nice.”
Knapp, 24, was the Phillies’ second-round pick in the 2013 draft out of Cal-Berkeley. He dazzled in a half-season at Double A Reading in 2015, hitting .360 with 11 homers, 56 RBIs and a 1.050 OPS in 55 games. That performance earned him the Paul Owens Award as the player of the year in the Phillies’ minor-league system.
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Knapp, who has a beautiful swing from both sides of the plate, appeared in eight games in big-league camp and was 4 for 16 with a homer and a double.
Alfaro, 22, was one of five prospects that former general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. acquired from Texas for Cole Hamels in July. The Rangers originally signed Alfaro for $1.3 million out of Colombia. He showed dazzling tools in camp, a rocket arm, huge power in batting practice and surprisingly good wheels for a man 6-2, 225 pounds.
It is unclear where the Phillies will assign these two catchers in April. Both need regular playing time to make the improvements needed — especially on the defensive side of the ball — to advance their careers. Alfaro missed significant time with an ankle injury that required surgery last year. It’s possible he could be assigned to Double A Reading with Knapp making the jump to Triple A Lehigh Valley.
If both players continue to improve and reach their potential as players, the Phillies could have a logjam at the catching position. That would be a good problem that could be addressed with a position change. Both players have first base on their resumes. Knapp also played some outfield in college and Alfaro may have the athleticism to play there as well.
The art of calling a game is something both players must work on this season. Knapp did not call his own game at Cal — college coaches typically handle that — and is still honing the craft.
“I’ve grown a ton since Cal,” he said. “I didn’t call at all in school. Even in these couple weeks, I’ve learned a ton. In the big leagues, you have to be able to throw any pitch in any count. There’s a lot of backwards pitching and off-speed in fastball counts.
“I think you kind of learn game flow a little bit. When you get into pro ball, I think it’s nice to get that freedom to do what you want. I consider myself a pretty intelligent ballplayer. So I know what I’m doing. It’s just the experience of doing it every day.”
Both players mentioned that they learned much about managing a game from Carlos Ruiz, the veteran catcher who is likely in his final season with the Phillies. Cameron Rupp will get the first chance to show he can be the team’s catcher of the future, but Knapp and Alfaro are coming strong.
“I had a good year last year and I just want to keep that rolling,” Knapp said. “This is baseball. A lot of things can happen. I just have to be ready for the call.”
Alfaro added, “I just want to be the best catcher wherever I play. It doesn’t matter if it’s rookie league or Double-A. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the big leagues. It doesn’t matter where I play. I just want to be the best. I just want to give 100 percent all the time. I always want to help my teammates. I never think how close I am. I never worry about that. They make the decisions. I’ll just play hard wherever I go.”