Triple-A Gwinnett manager Matt Tuiasosopo knows the role he plays in developing part of the Braves’ future.
Tuiasosopo is in his third year coaching with the Stripers, but it’s his first as manager. The 35-year-old is the first Gwinnett manager to have played for the team (2016-17). Not far removed from his playing days, Tuiasosopo can naturally relate to players.
“It wasn’t too long ago that I was here playing with some of these guys in this clubhouse,” Tuiasosopo recently told The AJC. “So to be back here as the manager is a great honor. I’m thankful to have this opportunity. I love being in this position to come beside players and help them, obviously on the field but overall in life and everything. I’m really passionate about that. I’m passionate about taking what I’ve learned from my experienced in life, in the game and through my successes and failures. Just being able to uplift guys any way I can and build them up and see them thrive. That’s what I love to do. I’m thankful the Braves have allowed me to take this opportunity and run with it. I couldn’t be blessed with a greater staff to work with every day. I’m loving it. It’s a lot of fun.”
The Stripers entered Monday at 14-10. The team has benefited from several veterans, some of whom have stopped by on rehab stints. Then there are others, like experienced infielder Orlando Arcia, who are trying to force their way into the major-league club’s plans.
But the focus will always center on the recognizable prospects. Outfielder Drew Waters has been streaky to start the season. Outfielder Cristian Pache, who hasn’t found his footing in the majors, will likely have an expanded stint in Gwinnett. There’s also a trio of well-known pitchers in Bryse Wilson, Tucker Davidson and Kyle Wright who are competing for the next spot start available with the Braves.
After the pandemic prevented a minor-league baseball season in 2020, Tuiasosopo’s emphasis is to just let the young players make their mistakes and learn in real games again.
“A lot of the time, it’s just letting them go out there and play the game, especially with the lost year we had,” he said. “A guy like Drew Waters, he missed a lot of valuable time. So the first part is just, ‘Go play, man. Go be free. Go shine the gifts you have. Go have fun every night.’ Then you can come beside him, I think, and offer perspective on the every-day occurrences, whether that’s dealing with mindset things, approach, perspective through slumps and failures. For me, the biggest part is being able to deal with failures and the tough times.
“I like to spend a lot of time developing the mental side of the game, the right mindset and approach day in and day out. These guys are gifted. Physically, they’re really good at what they do. We have a lot of great players in our organization. A lot of those young guys, we have a lot of young pitchers here — Drew is the one position player that’s here — Pache has been up and down. You just have to let them play. Let them fail. Let them have their successes. Then you can come beside them and mentally make sure they’re in the right frame of mind every day, day in and day out. Make sure they’re handling the pressures and failures the right way so they can stay in the right places longer and consistently.”
It’s a unique challenge for the three pitchers, who don’t know when they’ll next appear in a major-league game. Tuiasosopo acknowledges the difficulty in uncertainty. He stresses that the pitchers need to be confident in their own identity. It’s similar to the every-day struggles of any young person: Learning yourself and developing conviction in who you are and what you want to do.
Wilson, Wright and to a lesser degree Davidson have found success at the highest level, just not consistently. Tuiasosopo said he feels his role is to help them carry their confidence from Triple-A to the majors, a struggle he knows firsthand.
“For those guys, it’s understanding where their processes can get a little mentally off track and how to get back to that conviction of who they are, then not wavering from that,” Tuiasosopo said. “They do that well down here. I don’t know if something like that gets off track when those guys get up there, but I know for me that was my story and that’s why I try to come beside these guys here. I say, ‘Man, when you guys are here, why are you guys so successful? Where are you mentally? Does that change when you guys go up?’ Maybe there’s something to that. That’s why I say, when you talk about development, part of that is letting those guys play and getting into their minds to see how their minds work and how they’re mentally processing things.”
