Consistent contact propels unheralded Michael Stefanic to the cusp of Angels roster

A bonus child, Michael Stefanic isn’t. When the previous Westmont Faculty infielder signed with the Angels as a nondrafted free agent in July 2018, he didn’t obtain one penny. All he obtained was a bus ticket to Phoenix and the promise of some rookie-league at-bats within the Arizona Summer time League.

“I used to be simply so grateful for the chance, I didn’t care,” Stefanic stated after a exercise at minor league camp this week. “I used to be a kind of guys who stated, ‘Shoot, I’ll play free of charge.’ So after I obtained my first $250 examine after the primary two weeks, I wasn’t upset. I used to be like, ‘I’ll get some meal cash out of this.’ ”

The paychecks are nonetheless mild, however Stefanic’s circumstances have modified dramatically since that no-budget signing, three seasons of feasting on opposing pitching and a variety to the triple-A all-star recreation final summer season shifting him to the cusp of the large leagues.

Stefanic, 26, shot by the Angels’ farm system like a line drive to the hole, leaping from rookie ball in 2018 to Class-A in 2019 and, after the coronavirus worn out the 2020 minor league season, to double-A and triple-A in 2021.

He raked at each cease, constructing a resume that features a .314 common and .824 on-base-plus-slugging proportion in 241 minor league video games with simply 129 strikeouts in 1,019 plate appearances.

He added 20 kilos of muscle throughout the 2020 shutdown, infusing his offense with much-need energy, and his house run totals jumped from three in 2019 to 17 in 2021. He hit .334 with a .913 OPS, 16 homers and 54 RBIs in 104 video games for triple-A Salt Lake final season.

A second baseman with restricted vary, quickness and arm energy, Stefanic spent the final 5 months in Arizona shoring up his weaknesses and increasing his defensive versatility to arrange for a utility position. He’s not anticipated to make the large league membership when the lockout ends, however he’s on the depth chart.

“It’s a testomony to his character and perseverance as a participant, for positive,” stated Robert Ruiz, Stefanic’s coach at Westmont, an NAIA faculty in Santa Barbara. “He was relentless in his pursuit of discovering a chance to play on the subsequent degree. And he didn’t take the primary 5 no’s as his last reply.”

Stefanic, who grew up in Boise, Idaho, has at all times been ignored, and never simply due to his smallish 5-foot-10, 180-pound body. He didn’t obtain any main school gives out of highschool and wound up at Westmont after catching the attention of Ruiz at a summer season camp at Stanford.

“When he obtained right here, you form of query a few of his instruments, attempt to determine the place he’s going to slot in,” Ruiz stated. “He’s scrappy, perhaps a task participant, and also you assume by his junior 12 months, perhaps he’ll have an opportunity that can assist you out. He had an unreal fall as a freshman, discovered his approach into the beginning lineup and by no means got here out.”

A four-time All-Golden State Athletic Convention choice from 2015-2018, Stefanic hit .363 with a .901 OPS, 275 hits, eight homers, 50 doubles and 124 RBIs in 198 school video games, however much more spectacular, he struck out solely 33 instances in 853 plate appearances.

“Yeah, unreal,” Ruiz stated. “It was a great method, elite-level pitch recognition, realizing the strike zone. He’s that man, if the umpire calls strike three and he takes the pitch, you form of really feel just like the umpire was in all probability fallacious.”

Skilled scouts, nevertheless, noticed deficiencies in Stefanic: An absence of pace, arm energy, energy and defensive versatility. Forty rounds of the 2018 draft handed, and Stefanic was not among the many 1,214 gamers chosen.

“It was devastating, form of soul-crushing, actually,” Stefanic stated. “I used to be in a nasty place mentally as a result of I had such a great school profession and was so assured that I may carry out on the professional degree.”

His then-girlfriend had an uncle within the San Diego Padres entrance workplace who steered Stefanic put collectively a resume and spotlight video and ship it to all 30 golf equipment. Stefanic e-mailed it to 150-200 executives, most of whom didn’t reply.

“It was form of a shot at the hours of darkness,” Stefanic stated, “hoping somebody would take an opportunity on me.”

A month later, Stefanic returned house from an interview for a authorized assistant job with a regulation agency in Santa Barbara when he obtained a name from then-Angels participant growth coordinator Chris Mosch.

“Any individual went down within the AZL they usually wanted a physique,” Stefanic stated. “I assume I used to be that physique.”

Stefanic entered his first recreation as a pinch-runner, singled in his first at-bat, “and after that, it was like, ‘Recreation on, let’s do it, I can deal with this,’ ” Stefanic stated. “And that’s how I continued to method issues.

“I don’t care who’s on the mound, or what they’re throwing, they should throw the ball over the plate, I’ve to place the bat on the ball, and let’s see who wins.”

Considered one of baseball’s oldest adages is that in the event you can hit, they’ll discover a spot for you. The Angels did final season for Jose Rojas, who, very similar to Stefanic, was a lowly regarded prospect from an NAIA faculty (Vanguard College) who put up nice minor league numbers earlier than reaching the large leagues final season.

“He’s been an enormous inspiration to me,” Stefanic stated of Rojas, a university opponent for 2 seasons. “He confirmed that it’s attainable, and I hope to be the subsequent one.”

If Stefanic is, it is going to be due to a pure really feel to hit with a swing that hasn’t modified since he was 12 years previous and an old-school two-strike method that can heat the hearts of purists who lengthy for a recreation with fewer whiffs.

“I heard this the opposite day, and I actually favored it: The primary two strikes of the at-bat are yours, and once you get to 2 strikes, the at-bat is for the workforce,” Stefanic stated. “So after I get to 2 strikes, I’m actually simply seeking to hit a low line drive and put the ball in play, irrespective of the place it’s.

“Placing stress on the protection is nice, in my view. Which may be counterintuitive to the way in which the sport is performed now, however I’m by no means gonna be a 50-homer man. That’s simply not who I’m. However you recognize who’s? Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. I simply should get on base for these guys, they usually can hit me in.”