PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - Talking trade, AFL, & more with D-backs top prospect Seth Beer

Episode Date: October 3, 2019

Recorded from the AFL at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, this interview features D-backs #4 prospect Seth Beer. He chats with Jesse about what it was like being traded for Zack Greinke, the transition to the Southern League, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this very special edition of the Rattle podcast. As always, I'm your host, Jesse Friedman. I'll get out of your way here in just a couple of moments, but wanted to give you a quick preview to this interview that you're about to hear between myself and Diamondbacks first base prospect, Seth Beer. Seth Beer came over to the Diamondbacks in the Zach Ranky trade. He was one of four players to come over in the deal. Got to ask him about if there's any pressure having to do with that trade,

and of course a lofty name like Zach Granky. You'll hear that here in just a couple of moments. But folks, this is the number four prospect in the Diamondbacks organization. This is the number 96 prospect in all of baseball per MLB pipeline. Certainly a name you're going to want to familiarize yourself with. But that'll do it for me. I'm going to get out of the way. Here is my conversation with Diamondbacks first base prospect, Seth Beer.

You're here in Arizona for, I believe, the first time. Have you been here before at all? I've been here one time. I played in a tournament when I was a junior in high school. I was only here for like four days though. So this is my first like long stant here. And okay. I'm really enjoying it so far.

Yeah. So you mentioned that your mom likes it here because of the lack of humidity, which is of course a big thing here in the desert of course. From your standpoint though, do you like Arizona? Do you like that for yourself, the lack of humidity? Is that a big deal to you? So for me like, you know, I'll play anywhere. I'll play in any kind of weather.

So I mean, obviously I love it. It's beautiful here right now. And I'm enjoying playing here the ball. Ball carries a little bit more than where I'm what I'm used to back in the hot human place I can explain. But for me, you know, I feel like all around, like, you know, this is a place I would really like to experience for a long period of time and be around and see something new, something I'm not used to and I'm just excited about it. Yeah, well, this is home, right? At least that's the idea, right?

Yep, that's the idea. All right. So, Seth, we know you were taken in the first round back in 2018, which is not really that long ago, right? You've really moved up the ranks through your minor league career very, very quickly. Most people in the world are not used. to, you know, switching jobs every two or three months, which has kind of been the life that you've lived. Just take me through that. What is that like, kind of having to adjust to something new and then, you know, a few months later, adjust to something new again? You know, I think for me, I think it all kind of, it's all based on building blocks. And I think the first time I got, the first time I got called up from short season to, uh, to low A, I was like, wow, this is

really different. It took me a couple days to get used to it. And then, you know, from there, kind of just a building block. And then when I got moved up to high, I was like, okay, kind of knew what to expect. And then, you know, then starting this year in high A and then going to double A, I felt a little bit more comfortable. And then, you know, obviously with the trade, I think it also kind of helped a lot when it came to, you know, it is what it is. And, you know, for me, it's still the same game.

And we still play same amount of inning, same amount of outs. So for me, it wasn't a huge, huge change. But I just think the whole concept of a trade is pretty different. Yeah, you mentioned the trade, obviously you three other players coming over from the Astros in exchange for Zach Granky. let's face it, Zach Granky's won a Sigh-Young Award in the major leagues. He's a six-time All-Star. Is there a little bit of pressure that comes with having your name attached to a guy like that?

You know, I think there can be, I think for me, the fact that, you know, the group that came over from the Astros organization with me, I'm really comfortable with those guys. And if there is any pressure, the fact that, you know, I know that you can spread that around a little bit to the other, you know, three guys, super talented, you know, J.B. Corbin and then obviously Rojas who's in the big leagues right now. Yeah. You know, they're all great ballplayers. But, you know, I think for us, we're just kind of just trying to stay in the moment and just enjoy it. Obviously, being tied to a name like Grinky, a guy who's going to be a Hall of Famer, in my opinion. It's pretty cool. And I take it more as a pride thing, you know, than anything else. Because, you know, at the end of the day, you know, he's a really good ball player. And the fact that they gave him up for us for is pretty cool. Yeah. So your experience, you mentioned the transition over here to the Diamondbacks organization. You only got to play, 24 games, I believe, in the regular season with the Jackson Generals.

But heck, you guys went and won a championship, right? Yeah, that's cool. I believe it was the second consecutive championship that organization had won. Just tell me about your experience there, both as a player and what you were able to accomplish there, and then as a team, just the opportunity to go and get a championship for your organization. You know, for me, I think it was obviously a huge adjustment. All of a sudden, you're in a different jersey all the way around, you know, through and for me, you know, it took some time. it takes time to get used to that kind of stuff.

And, you know, I was just really happy of how welcoming the, not just the organization was, but the team I was with, the generals and the players and how welcoming they were. And they brought me into the family pretty quick. And I felt really comfortable and at home pretty quick. So I was just really happy about that overall experience. And the fact that we could come out of with a ring too is pretty cool. It's still AA, but I believe it was a different league, right?

A different league in a different league. Did you notice differences in the competitiveness of the league or anything like that moving to the Southern League? I think the Southern League, it's a harder place to hit home runs, in my opinion. Just the way the ballparks are set up and where some of the ballparks are geographically. And, you know, it was a little bit harder versus the Texas League where the ball kind of flew for the most part where I was with Corpus, with the Astros. Right.

But, you know, all in all, you know, it's an adjustment and this game is, you know, based on adjustments. So for me, you know, it's just another adjustment. It was something I had to put into the bank and hopefully I can use it further in my career. Last thing for you, Seth, fill in the blank for me. If I can accomplish blank at the 2019 Arizona Ball League, it will have been a success. What would that blank be for you? If I can hold down first base, like, you know, position-wise, so first base for me,

to the best of my abilities, feel comfortable with every play I need to make. And through a nine-in-a-game, I'll feel like I accomplished a lot. Cool. Thank you so much, Seth. I really appreciate you.