Pitching prospect Vizcaino hoping to move up in Jays' ranks
Pitching prospect Emanuel Vizcaino, 20, is in his third season in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Photo: Alejandro Gaitain
By Alejandro Gaitan
DUNEDIN, Fla. — There is a Latin-American brotherhood forged on the way to Major League Baseball.
Emanuel Vizcaino, a 20 year-old Dominican pitcher in his third season as a Toronto Blue Jay prospect, is the part of this international bond.
Vizcaino left Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic capital and largest city, at 16 years old to chase a dream: being a pitcher in the big leagues.
“I have a clear objective for this season: play in a higher league,¨ he said, in Spanish, on a rainy day at the Engelbert Complex. “I already have this experience, I want to have a new one.”
Toronto signed him the summer of 2016 for $50,000, where he has been playing, first in the Dominican Summer League and then in the Gulf Coast Summer League team last season.
He is not the only Latin athlete in the Blue Jays facilities down in Florida, where young players from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic or Venezuela train for a spot in the majors.
“We are always together, like brothers. We stay more time with our teammates than with our family. We play and eat together. We are brothers,” said the pitcher.
The Latin American partnership is strong, on and off the field — they share many likes, meals, music and for some, a feeling of homesickness.
“We support each other, we tried to make the others improve every day and represent our countries proudly” said Vizcaino. “We hang out more with the Latin players than the rest, that’s us.”
Having a great hispanic group of players is a key to success, according to Darold Knowles, the rehab pitching coach for the Blue Jays and former MLB pitcher, and World Series champion with the Oakland Athletics in 1973.
“We probably wouldn’t be as good as an organization if we don’t have those kids. We have some really great arms in young kids, really good arms,” said Knowles.
One of the spring training team goals is create a good relationship between the players, focusing in the pitcher-catcher relationship, a process where the language barrier can be a challenge.
“I speak a little bit of English which helps me a lot,” Vizcaino said. “The catchers can understand me and I can hear them. It [helps] to grow the relation, they are my favourite brothers . . . If they are good doing their job, I play better. We work together.”
Vizcaino had a 1-3 record in 11 games, posting a 6.28 ERA over 43 innings pitched, with 27 bases on balls and 38 strikeouts.
Three pitchers have been an influence for Vizcaino; former Jay Roberto Osuna, current Toronto pitcher Marcus Stroman, and Red Sox legend, Pedro Martinez.
“I like Osuna’s pitches, he showed me some of them,” said Vizcaino. “Stroman is always calm on the pitch, he enjoys the game when he is throwing.”
Charlie Montoyo, the new manager for the Jays, is Hispanic, and that helps, says the young right hander. The Puerto Rican has become the second Latin head coach for the franchise and the 20th bench boss in the league history.
“He grew up watching and knowing what Latin players does to make it to the MLB. Maybe he can help us, give us confidence and open the door for more Latin players to keep doing what we really like, playing baseball.”