C.J. Abrams took a big step forward last year, and as Nats manager Davey Martinez revealed to Grant & Danny this week, it all started with a simple conversation in Atlanta mid-season.
“Last year, we had a conversation with him in Atlanta and talked about how good he can be; we tried to get him to understand a lot of players go through what he went through, but we wanted him to focus on right now,” Martinez said. “What can you do in 10 at-bats? Can you work a walk in, hit the ball hard three or four times? Every at-bat will be different, but in 10 at-bats you can hit .300, and then go on to the next 10 and try to hit .400 – shorten things, so you’re not always looking at the big picture. The numbers will be what they are at the end of the year, but focus on here and now.”
Abrams ‘started taking off’ after that, and once Martinez moved him to the top of the order, the sky was the limit.
“I saw a different guy, and then I decided to put him at leadoff,” Martinez said. “He was curious, and I told him to take ownership of it; I said, ‘I think you can do it, now you have to run with it.’ He did, and now we have a leadoff hitter who can do a lot of different things, impact the ball with power.
He’s gonna be special, and this spring he’s been a different beast. He has that quiet confidence and leadership, and he has been working diligently on everything.”
And, it seems, fitting in as a perfect liaison between the veterans (and those who have been around a bit even) and the next wave.
“It’s a great vibe here, and these vets have been a blessing,” Davey said. “They’re taking the young guys in and showing them the ropes, and how it is different to play in the Majors. The process is different, and it’s all about speeding these guys up a bit.”