Fairfield’s Paolini battling through struggles in Braves system
No one said this was going to be easy.
Even as a fifth-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in the 2019 draft, the first Connecticut native selected that year, Stephen Paolini was in for a tough battle after signing for $600,000 at age 18, straight out of Trumbull’s St. Joseph High.
It typically takes a while for players coming straight from high school to adjust to the pros, especially players from the northeast who are only used to playing 20-25 high school games per season. Sure enough, Paolini, a Fairfield native, finished off that summer hitting .192 for the Braves’ Rookie League team.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which canceled last year’s entire minorleague season. Paolini spent most of the summer and fall in Philadelphia, working out at a facility run by his agent, Jeff Randazzo.
After his first spring training this season, Paolini broke camp with Class-A Augusta and … well, it’s continued to be a struggle.
Despite hitting his third home run of the season on Thursday night, Paolini entered the weekend hitting just .163, with 103 strikeouts in 63 games.
No one said this would be easy.
“I’ve definitely been struggling a bit to find my swing,” Paolini said by phone recently. “I came out pretty hot in spring training, feeling really good. Then, at the start of the season, whatever it was, I kind of lost the feel and the approach. So, I’ve been struggling a little bit, but I’m starting to refine some things. I feel really confident in the field, which has been a big help for me, mentally.”
Indeed, Paolini’s speed and athleticism has led to highlight-reel diving catches and plays at the outfield wall. He’s also swiped 10 bases in 14 attempts, continuing to display the fivetool package that led Atlanta to make him its highest-paid high school draftee two years ago.
But the struggles at the plate have continued. The easy excuse, of course, is that he would have just finished his sophomore year of college had he not turned pro, and that the adjustment is a tough one. Look no further than former Masuk High star Thomas Milone, a thirdround pick by Tampa Bay in 2013 who is still toiling in the minor leagues.
But Paolini isn’t necessarily buying that excuse.
“It’s interesting, because I’ve heard that a lot: ‘You’re a high school guy, take your time to adjust,’” he said. “But recently, when I’ve been going to the plate, it’s not like I’ve felt overmatched or I’m trying to adjust to something. I’ve had the feeling before of getting up to the plate where I have all the confidence in the world, and no matter what, however old these guys are, they’re not gonna get one by me. That’s what I think has been the hardest part for me. I see pitches right down the middle, I’m seeing the ball well, and I’ve just been missing the swings. Just a little off.”
One thing is certain: Paolini isn’t going to stop working.
“Yeah, you could say it might take some time for a high school guy to adjust,” he continued, “but I think I’ve made the adjustment, in terms of playing in pro ball. Just missing some of the pitches that I need to hit. I’m starting to feel well, so hopefully I’ll be able to put something together here.”
And if Milone, another athletic outfielder from Connecticut, can be used as an example, maybe that can also give Paolini hope. Milone hit .299 at Double-A Somerset this season and earned his first-ever promotion to Triple-A, where he’s hit .310 in 26 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. A call-up to the Yankees could still be in Milone’s near future.
It’s proof that battling through adversity and persevering can lead to success in baseball. Hopefully, Stephen Paolini’s journey doesn’t take quite as long. Either way, he’ll be working hard the entire way, no excuses.
No one said this was going to be easy.
GRAY’S DAY
When righthander Josiah Gray made his major-league debut for the Dodgers on Tuesday night, he became the 25th alumni of the Danbury Westerners summer team to reach “The Show.” Gray, a New Rochelle, N.Y. native, was selected by Cincinnati in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft and later traded to the Dodgers in the deal that sent Yasiel Puig to the Reds.