All-Star Estrada putting himself on the map
TRENTON » In an organization with an abundance of middle infield prospects, it’s easy to overlook Thairo Estrada.
He’s not the highly-rated prospect. Not the flashy player. He’s soft spoken and goes about his business.
But an All-Star season with the Thunder may be about to change that.
“(I) didn’t know he was going to do this well,” manager Bobby Mitchell said. “He’s such a gamer. His concentration during games and practice is as good as anybody’s. He gets out there and he doesn’t goof around, he’s serious. If he can’t do it, he gets mad at himself. … That’s what drives the kid.”
Estrada, a 21-year-old still sporting braces, has been the most consistent performer for a Thunder team that is 30 games over .500 (58-28) and cruising toward an EL East title.
He ranks second in the league with 102 hits and is third in batting average at .320. All the while he’s compiled a solid .966 fielding percentage in 77 games (57 at SS, 19 at 2B, 1 at 3B).
“I’m not surprised,” said Estrada, ranked as the 29thbest prospect in the Yankees’ system, through a translator. “I worked very hard to be here in the offseason. I don’t expect anything less.”
The organization has noticed, too. Vice President of Player Development Gary Denbo said in May that Estrada was on the club’s radar as a possible major league option in the future.
He was also part of the Yankees’ prestigious captain’s camp in Tampa prior to spring training.
Estrada, however, isn’t getting hung up on what may lie ahead or what other people think.
“That’s something I don’t worry about because I don’t control that,” Estrada said. “The only thing I control is to come here and play hard everyday. That’s what I’m putting all my energy into.”
It’s paying off for the Thunder.
Estrada recently had an 18-game hitting streak snapped when he went 0-for-4 in Thursday’s series finale against Reading. He responded with a 2-for-3 night on Friday in a 2-1 over New Hampshire. He drove in both Trenton runs, including a solo homer to center in the sixth.
“I just hit the ball hard and run as hard as I can, which is what I always do,” Estrada said. “I hit the ball and I run and when I was going around second base I saw that the ball went out and was like, ‘yes, that’s great.’”
Estrada later knocked in a huge insurance run in the eight with a sacrifice fly. It was the type of at-bat Mitchell has come to expect from him, and the skipper later called him “our best guy in that situation.”
Estrada is batting .323 with runners in scoring position, and he’s likely to get more chances now that Mitchell is hitting him third in the order.
“This starts when I leave the dugout,” Estrada said. “I know who I’m facing and then when that runner got to third base, I was looking for one pitch so I could elevate the ball and bring that guy in. I’m disciplined enough to wait for that pitch.”
Sounds like something an All-Star would say.
“I worked hard, and it’s a way to reward that hard work that I make the AllStar Game,” Estrada said. “I’m very humbled by it.”