Cleveland Guardians prospect C.J. Kayfus opened the season in Double-A.
After putting up a brilliant 210 wRC+ in 18 games, the Guardians aggressively promoted him to Triple-A to challenge him.
It was the right move for the left-handed hitter.
With Columbus, Kayfus had 14 doubles, four triples and 13 home runs with a 134 wRC+ in 68 games, earning his ticket to MLB after the trade deadline.
The outfielder/first baseman has been rock-solid in his brief MLB stint, slashing .258/.303/.452 with a 109 wRC+, three doubles and one home run in 10 games.
Asked about the difference between facing Triple-A and MLB pitching, Kayfus was clear: command.
“Honestly, the only big difference is the consistency with hitting spots. Whether it’s a hitter advantage count or not, they’re still gonna paint around the zone instead of giving you a pitch to do damage with, is what I’ve noticed so far,” Kayfus said, via Eric Samulski of NBC Sports.
Each minor league level presents its own difficulties.
Double-A pitchers tend to have solid stuff and better command than those in High-A.
Triple-A hurlers do an even better job throwing strikes, yet they still make a few mistakes here and there.
In the majors, pitchers are consistently hitting their spots and making life difficult for hitters.
That’s why they are the best in the world.
Kayfus, therefore, needs to adjust to reach his potential.
He needs to consistently hit high heat, foul off tough pitches on the corners to remain alive in at-bats, lay off tough breaking pitches in the dirt, and more.
So far, he is doing an amazing job, and Cleveland is ecstatic to have him around.
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