At the Patriots, a New York Yankees minor-league affiliate, the clubhouse has lately doubled as a meeting point for some of the parent club's biggest names. Big-league rehabbers have been a regular sight already this season, with Anthony Volpe, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon all pulling on the Patriots uniform as they work their way back from injury. For the young players around them, the prospects said, it has been incredible to have them there.
What stands out most to the prospects is not just the star power but the work behind it. The players said they have paid close attention to the way the rehabbing big-leaguers go about their processes and their daily routines. Being able to watch that up close, day after day, has given the younger group a template for how professionals at the highest level prepare for a game.
The lessons have at times become hands-on. One young hitter said a rehabbing player currently with the team shares a similar swing path to his own, and that the two have been talking through their swings together. The rehabber, he said, has been looking at his mechanics and pulling out details that could help, turning a rehab stint into an impromptu coaching session for a prospect eager to learn.
At the center of those conversations is a name well known in hitting circles. The young player said he and the rehabber have been discussing the ideas of Craig Wallenbrock, whom he described as a legend in the hitting world. The rehabber has been drawing on that work and applying it to the prospect's swing, something the younger man made clear he relished as a rare chance to refine his craft.
Part of what makes the exchange meaningful, the players said, is how close in age and standing the rehabber feels. He is only a year or two older, one of them noted, and yet approachable enough that they can talk to him about anything. He is, as the player put it, literally one of us, a reminder of just how near they are to the level they are chasing every night.
On the field, the team has had its own bright spots. One reliever, King, has continued to open eyes out of the bullpen. For the players, the gratitude runs deep, with one describing it as a blessing to go out and play baseball every single day. He said he gets to be a big kid every day playing a game, and wants to take advantage of as many opportunities as he can get.
The focus, the players said, is on staying steady and making the most of the moment. One said he tries to block out the outside noise, put his head down and just keep going, with roughly three months of baseball still left to keep his hot streak alive. While they expect big things from the season, the more pressing goal was simpler, to come away with a win tonight and take the series with another victory.