Developing minor league baseball prospects would be a tall task for most.
But not Eric Duncan, who knows that winning isn’t everything.
Duncan has been the Director of Positional Player Development with the Toronto Blue Jays organization for over two seasons and has coached at the professional level nearly 10 years, working to make everyone a complete package.
“Getting each and every player to reach his ceiling is the most important part of what we do,” said Duncan, on an online interview from the Blue Jays Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla. “Then we try to do that through winning where there’s opportunities in every game where winning plays [can be made].”
Since his arrival, players such as Addison Barger and Leo Jimenez have made the jump from minor to Major league games, bringing a winning style with them.
Not many games are won by one player, which is why Duncan believes teaching prospects the intricacies of the game is an integral part of developing a winning culture.
That includes the use of analytics.
“We have hitting labs, glass sensors, catapults, every kind of way to track our players movements in individual sequences,” said Duncan.
The technology they use is not so different from their competitors, but it’s how they implement the data they hope gives the Jays’ an edge.
“The most important part of [analytics in developing players] is making sure that whoever is getting [the data] to our players is able to make it understandable and actionable,” said the former MLB first-round draft choice with the New York Yankees.
“There’s millions of points of data with every pitch that’s thrown in a big league game, what are you going to do with that data?”
A coach can explain the findings to the player, but it’s ultimately up to the youngster to implement them into his game—something that is not always easy during the ups and downs of a minor league baseball season.
Canada’s team stresses the importance of mental and emotional well-being for players to ensure they are equipped for a long season.
“Maybe the most important part of our jobs is building relationships,” said Duncan. “Building trust so that when the tough times do come, you can be there for them and help them go through it.”
