SARASOTA, Fla. - The three-day minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex has enabled the Orioles to offer a unique experience to one of their prospects: a throwing program for an infielder.
It isn't routine in baseball. Such programs usually are associated with pitchers. But the Orioles are providing one to Single-A Delmarva shortstop Ryan Mountcastle, the 36th overall pick in the 2015 draft who's trying to stay at his current position.
Mountcastle wants to play shortstop, but there are whispers in the organization that he might have to move to the outfield or first base. He's lacking arm strength, which brings us to the minicamp and Mountcastle's daily sessions with minor league infield coordinator Dave Anderson.
"Just some throwing program stuff and getting my footwork ready for the season," he said. "The people I've talked to the most about it is Brian Graham and Dave Anderson. Just some footwork and staying to my target and not pulling off or anything."
Improved technique could lead to an increase in velocity on his throws across the diamond. It's certainly worth a try.
"We have him on a band program, a Jobes program, as well as a weightlifting program that's been structured by the strength and conditioning coaches as well as monitored by the trainers and Dave Anderson," said Brian Graham, the Orioles director of player development. "And Dave Andrson is working with him mechanically with everything with the throwing action.
"It's not a secret his throwing strength isn't as good as we'd like it to be. That's not a secret. We know that. Dave Anderson flew from California here to meet with Mountcastle. This kid is a pretty good player. And that's just an area he needs to get better at.
"When you watch him, you see at times a lack of arm strength, but you (also) see a lack of arm speed. We're trying to get him mechanically in a good position to improve and increase both. Keep in mind, I want to make a note again, this guy is a good player. This guy can swing the bat, he's smart, got great make-up. We need to get his arm to a higher level of playing ability at shortstop."
The organization is convinced that Mountcastle will hit. His bat was a major draw when the Orioles selected him with the compensation pick obtained after Nelson Cruz signed with the Mariners.
Mountcastle, who turns 20 next week, has crafted a .286/.321/.416 slash line in 168 games in the Gulf Coast, New York-Penn and South Atlantic leagues. But he isn't at minicamp to occupy space in the batting cages. It's all about the continuation of his program.
"He did it starting in instructional league and it's carried through the whole winter," Graham said. "He's been on a band program, the Jobes weightlifting program the pitchers do, as well as a strength and conditions through the weights. This was a good time to check and evaluate where he is. He looks a lot better. His mechanics look good."
It's important to Mountcastle that he rise through the system at his current position and fulfill his dream.
"I'm staying at short right now and I really want to play short in the big leagues," he said. "I'm going to do basically whatever it takes to play short and then if somehow it doesn't work out in the long run, I'm fine with changing whatever. But right now I'm at short."
The doubters are serving as motivators and he's handling them like routine grounders.
"Yeah, a little bit," he said. "It helps me to work harder. I know I have to work harder to be at the big league level as a shortstop, but I'm willing to put in what it takes."
Mountcastle knows his Orioles shortstop history, or at least the later years. He'd like to be part of it.
"With Cal (Ripken) and J.J. Hardy and those guys," he said, "it's definitely a high-caliber position with Baltimore, for sure."