LOS ANGELES – He's gone from prospect to suspect to scrap heap, and now, after so many people had written him off, outfielder Jordan Schafer is finally playing at a high level. Albeit as a bench player, a role he doesn't want to keep on a permanent basis.
Schafer had a pinch-hit single leading off the eighth inning Thursday, when the Braves were down just a run, before a grand slam by Yasiel Puig in the bottom of the inning turned a close game into a 5-0 Dodgers win. For Schafer, it was his 18th hit in 51 at-bats (.353) over his past 23 games, including two doubles, two triples and two home runs.
“He is a big piece of our success, a big weapon off the bench,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said Friday before the second game of the four-game series. “He’s done a good job. He’s a great guy to have to lead off an inning coming off the bench. Like he did last night. Pinch-run, put him in there for defense, like we have before, like when (Evan) Gattis is out there in left field. He gives you a lot of options off the bench, to do a lot of different stuff.”
Schafer had a .314 average and .422 on-base percentage in 86 at-bats, with a team-high seven stolen bases in nine attempts. He had played in 42 of the Braves’ 59 games, including 19 starts – two in left field, seven in center, and 10 in right, getting the bulk of his starts there when Jason Heyward was on the disabled list.
The rest of his games came either as a defensive replacement or as a pinch-hitter (4-for-12 with a home run).
Call it coming full circle, or simply growing up and managed to stay both healthy and out of trouble. Call it whatever you want, Schafer doesn’t much care. He’s just trying to make the most of an opportunity in his second go with the Braves, who claimed him off waivers in November after he was dumped by the lowly Astros.
“I’m happy and content where I am right now,” said Schafer, 26. “I love being here. But like I’ve said from the beginning, I’m young and I want to get to play every day again. Whenever that comes, hopefully I can take advantage of that.”
His production has surpassed expectations, by all accounts. Braves general manager Frank Wren said this spring that Schafer could provide something for the Braves that no one else did off the bench, with his exceptional defense and speed.
But it’s the overall hitting that has been a bit of a revelation, because the player that Braves fans remember from his first two seasons either seemed to be hurt all the time or got to pull-conscious for long stretches after hitting a home run. Schafer credits countless hours of work with hitting coach Greg Walker and assistant hitting coach Scott Fletcher, beginning during the winter after Schafer traveled to Atlanta to get to know them and start working.
Gonzalez said Schafer’s desire to be a starter again – he was the Braves’ opening-day center fielder as a rookie in 2009, before a wrist injury began a series of problems that stalled his career – is a good trait, more preferable than the alternative.
“You don’t want guys, especially young guys, to be like a guy who’s 34, 35 years old and say, ‘Yeah, I’ll pinch-hit twice a week and I’ll take it,’ or whatever,” Gonzalez said. “You want guys who are still hungry.”
Schafer is that. Since the beginning of spring training, Walker has spoke highly of his work habits and potential. Walker called him possibly the best bunter he’s ever coached, and said Schafer was good enough to be an every-day player again in the future, particularly once he got back the opposite-field swing he was focused on in the spring.
Gonzalez quickly noticed a difference in Schafer during spring training.
“I’ve seen a different guy, maturity level, since my first year here with him,” he said. “People told me this guy has really grown up since years before that. Now we trade him and he comes back, and I see a big difference. Him growing, maturing as a baseball player. And you can talk to him now.”
Gonzalez laughed as he recalled trying to converse with Schafer in years past, when he was with the Braves or Astros, and Schafer had on sunglasses or seemed detached or not too focused on the job at hand.
“Schafer being Schafer. Young kid stuff, where you want to grab him by the throat,” Gonzalez said, smiling. “Now you can sit down and talk to him. I enjoy being around him. I like coming to the ballpark and talking to him, and picking on him. He’s been really fun to be around.”
Gonzalez has used him mostly against right-handers. Schafer has hit .347 (26-for-75) with a .456 on-base percentage against righties, and is 1-for-11 with one walk against lefties.
Spending so much time on the bench has also proved valuable for Schafer, who has been able to watch and learn while also picking the brain of players and coaches in the dugout. He’s also developed more of an appreciation for playing time and the value of each plate appearance.
“It can be a blessing in disguise,” he said. “Kind of take the pressure off me a little bit. Get to see the game from a different perspective, learn the game from a different angle. It’s been nice so far. Fletch and Walk have really helped me.
“I think when you get four (in a game), you kind of take some of them for granted, because you know you have some more coming. When you know you only get one, you don’t throw that away.”
About the Author
