DENVER – Raimel Tapia was a man without options going into Spring Training. If he didn’t produce results in the Cactus League, he would be designated for assignment and the go the way of former teammate Tom Murphy, who was claimed by the Giants before being traded to the Mariners a few days later.
Had no one shown interest and claimed him, he would likely be headed back to Triple-A with no timetable for his next opportunity.
Though some team would have certainly coveted the 25-year-old, neither scenario came to fruition. Tapia got off to a hot start in late February and finished the spring with 13 runs batted in, earning a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Commenting on his inclusion to the 25-man roster, Tapia commented, “It felt good. I felt blessed.”
With only two starts in the outfield for Colorado and 27 plate appearance in 25 games played, Tapia had difficulty with being a part-time player in 2018.
Relegated to Alburquerque for much of the season, where he put up a slash line of .302/.352/.495 to go along with 33 doubles, 11 home runs and 62 runs batted in, swiping 21 bases along the way to underlining he had nothing more to prove in the minors.
This year, Tapia understands his role as a bench player and has embraced it.
“Last year, it was very hard to not play every day. But this year, I’m more experienced. Each day, I go into the cage and swing. Throw a little in the cage and get ready to pinch hit. This year, it’s better.”
Another year older, another year wiser, according to the man from the Dominican Republic.
“I’m think about things much better. My mentality has gotten very strong for that,” he shared before another key game against rival Los Angeles.
The relationship with teammates has been also contributed with his incremental growth.
“I’ve asked Reynolds how to approach this situation. He tells me to go to the cage. Desmond says the same thing. Go to the cage and be ready every time,” Tapia fervently added. “When you’re a pinch hitter, you have to be ready. I’ll go the cage in the fourth inning, throw and everything. You feel good and you’re more prepared mentally for being a pinch hitter.”
Perhaps the biggest difference this season is the addition of new hitting coach Dave Magadan.
As a coach with San Diego, Boston, Texas and Arizona, Magadan not only brings experience from 16 years in this role, but also a certain bilingual ability.
“He’s speaks Spanish and talks to me in Spanish every day,” shared the smiling Tapia. “He asks how I’m doing and tells me, ‘Be the best today.’ Sometimes, I don’t understand English and I’ll say, ‘Tell me in Spanish.’ It’s been very nice.
And when all else fails, he can always make a call to someone from his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris who’s walked in his cleats before as a major leaguer.
“Alfonso Soriano is close to me. I talk to him all the time. When I was a little kid, I’d go to practice with him. He’d teach me everything about the game. He’s like a second father to me.”
The former seven-time All-Star has a similar build to Tapia and though Soriano’s power produced seven seasons of over 30 home runs, his speed was also a major strength much like Tapia’s.
Without consistent playing time, it will be close to impossible for Tapia to ever reach such heights, but one thing is for sure: he will do everything he can with every opportunity that’s given to him.
