Tempe, Ariz — Highly rated Colorado Rockies prospect Antonio Senzatela had a big day on Friday. It was one he is unlikely to forget despite an otherwise pedestrian stat-line. He pitched three innings against the Los Angeles Angels, giving up two runs on four hits, but it is the way he responded to early nerves that is likely to get the attention of his coaches and teammates.
He just turned 21 a month ago and hasn’t even reached the Double-A level yet, but on a scorching afternoon in the desert he toed the rubber and peered at two of the greatest hitters of all time; Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. He held them to a combined 0-for-4. In the first inning, he managed to retire both hitters with runners in scoring position when it would have been easy for him to give in.
He says he felt okay but admitted it was hard not to look down the list of names and get amped: “Yunel Escobar, Mike Trout, [Albert] Pujols …” Senzatela says he just couldn’t wait to compete against them.
“I hope he was jittery,” says Manager Walt Weiss, “It’s a big deal pitching against that lineup. I thought he handled himself well.”
The 2015 CAL League Pitcher of the Year was given a bit of help on several nifty defensive plays from Mark Reynolds.
“He’s awesome,” Senzatela said. “I like him. He’s a good guy and he played good today.”
Trevor Story did his part with the glove – gunning down a runner at third in the first inning when it looked like things might start to get away from Senzatela – and with the bat as is has become routine this spring. He knocked in two runs on two hits. The Rockies shortstop prospect is hitting .280 with four homes runs and a 1.280 OPS.
Oh, and Nolan Arenado got two more extra base hits, including a triple, and pulled is spring training average up to an even .600. That’s correct, in 30 at-bats in March Arenado is hitting twice the number of Spartans required to thwart an incoming Persian assault.
But it was literally Senzatela’s day in the sun. It doesn’t matter that he wasn’t his best self because he found a way to not only stand toe-to-toe with the highest competition in the world, he was able to do so while already reeling a bit. He says he has grown immensely since working with Jorge De La Rosa and new Rockies pitching adviser Pedro Astacio.
“I feel good. I just tried to compete,” he says.
And that’s exactly what Senzatela did on Friday. He competed against some of the best ever and learned a lot about himself. Never underestimate what a day like that can do for the confidence of a young pitcher.
“It goes a long way,” says Weiss “to be able to go out there and perform and execute, that’s gotta make you feel real good.”
“He’s throwing fastballs by some of the best hitters in the game,” says Rockies GM Jeff Bridich. “He got a little loose in that second inning … but he maintained composure, he didn’t unravel, he didn’t melt down, he kept firing strikes in there and those are huge things for young players to be able to do. You can see the talent, hopefully he proved to himself that he is tough to hit.”
Now it’s up to him to turn the lessons of today into the results of tomorrow. Watch for Senzatela to begin the season at Double-A Hartford.
