Alford makes a loud statement
Outfielder trying to stand out this spring hits 3 homers in 2 games
DUNEDIN, FLA.— Anthony Alford has had a bellyful of scuffling and scrabbling.
Because that’s not who he is, this potent two-sport athlete who chose baseball over football.
That’s not who the Blue Jays think he is, either. But their assessment of the stocky outfielder has wavered over the past couple of years, since he debuted with Toronto two years ago.
Injuries had much to do with Alford slip-sliding out of the picture, sapping his performance: concussion in 2016, fractured wrist that required surgery in 2017, hamstring issue in 2018.
He nevertheless got into 13 games with the Jays last season, putting up a weak slashline of .105/.190/.105. Struggled at Triple-A Buffalo as well, hitting .240, though he claims not to have become discouraged.
“I’ve been confident even when I’ve struggled,” the 24- year-old outfielder maintains. “You might, at times, get down on yourself. I’ve always tried to stay confident. This is a hard game. Give the pitchers credit, they get paid to get us out and they did that a lot to me last year in the first half. Just reminding myself to stay humble and that this isn’t an easy game.”
It’s come more smoothly, however, over the past fortnight, after beginning the spring with a poopy 1-for-7 at the plate. Certainly turned it around with a flourish, homering three times in his past two games. Putting him, with Bo Bichette, on the hottest of streaks among Jays.
Alford is now six for his last 11, with four home runs and seven RBIs, while posting a .391 OBP in 21 at-bats.
He worked with new hitting coach Guillermo Martinez over the winter, “redefining” his swing and contracting his mechanics.
“Simplify everything just to give me a better chance to recognize pitches more. I feel like I’m seeing the ball a lot better, as opposed to having very big mechanics with a lot of movement.”
The key, he was convinced by Martinez, was to stay through the ball by remaining on the same plane with his swing. “That generates more power as opposed to getting balls topspin left, flat right. I’ve been able to drive balls. That’s what turns doubles in the gap into homers, or singles into extra-base hits.
“Just that, and being quiet, trying to be as quiet as I can with my load.” So far, so good. Of course, the Toronto outfield is crowded and Alford is bringing up the rear behind Randal Grichuk as the projected starter in right, Kevin Pillar entrenched at centre, Teoscar Hernandez and Billy McKinney expected to platoon in left. Dalton Pompey is fourth on the depth chart and earning chops from manager Charlie Montoyo in what feels very much like the last-chance saloon for the Mississauga native.
“I really don’t try to focus on that night,” Alford says. “If I worried about that, I wouldn’t be able to go out there and perform to the best of my ability. I just try to take it one day at a time, you know? Everybody knows how this game is. Everybody knows the business side of it. I just try to focus on myself, give myself the best opportunity to be successful. I can’t worry about who’s on the 40-man or who’s getting the opportunity. I just try to be ready when the opportunity comes.”
Alford’s mentality has never gone on the DL.
“That’s what separates guys in the bigs and guys in the minors, it’s their mentality. Being able to stay in the moment, just lie in that moment. Whether that’s in the batter’s box, the outfield, the basepaths, just being able to live in that moment.”