Graham Pauley emerged as probably the most promising hitting prospects within the San Diego Padres system this previous season. Chosen within the thirteenth spherical of the 2022 draft out of Duke College, the 23-year-old left-handed-hitting third baseman slashed .308/.393/.539 with 23 residence runs and an organization-best 152 wRC+ throughout Low-A Lake Elsinore, Excessive-A Fort Wayne, and Double-A San Antonio.
Depend Eric Longenhagen amongst these bullish on his potential with the bat. Earlier this month, our lead prospect analyst wrote that Pauley’s swing “is attractive — it usually seems to be like a mini model of Corey Seager‘s reduce, utterly linked from the bottom up.” He assigned Pauley a forty five FV, together with a forty five/50 hit device grade and a 50/55 sport energy grade.
Pauley talked hitting late within the Arizona Fall League season.
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David Laurila: You set up some fairly spectacular numbers this yr. What do you attribute that to?
Graham Pauley: “I credit score it to the Padres, but in addition to myself for placing within the work, day in and time out. Being a thirteenth rounder, you additionally don’t have a ton of expectations, so you’ll be able to type of go into it with a free spirit. Over the course of my time right here — ever since being drafted, together with all through this yr — I really feel that I’ve gotten higher. Minor swing modifications, getting stronger, being extra agile. That’s all helped and gotten me to the place I’m right this moment.”
Laurila: Inform me in regards to the swing modifications.
Pauley: “I began out this yr in Low-A, and whereas I used to be hitting nicely, I wasn’t all the time getting the outcomes I wished by way of balls within the air. I used to be hitting the ball on the bottom lots. Making some swing modifications — my bat path and the way my physique rotates, holding my course towards the middle of the sphere — allowed me to raise the ball. It additionally helped me to hit each fastballs and offspeed pitches.
“Staying on aircraft so long as potential was an enormous a part of it. That comes from working within the cages, engaged on my first transfer, my rhythm, my load, and my timing. Moving into the appropriate spots has helped me slot higher. It’s allowed my bat to remain within the zone lots longer, which permits me to each hit extra pitches and elevate the ball.”
Laurila: I’ve learn that you’ve fast arms. Is that your primarily attribute as a hitter?
Pauley: “That’s an enormous a part of it. I might say it’s a mixture between fast arms and having arms that I depend on. I prefer to assume that my hand-eye coordination is up there with the very best. It permits me to hit a whole lot of pitches. I felt like I didn’t swing and miss a lot this yr, which allowed me each to maintain my strikeouts down and produce a whole lot of hits.”
Laurila: Placing balls in play is clearly a superb factor, however on the similar time, doing so prior to 2 strikes isn’t essentially splendid. It won’t have been a pitch you may do injury on.
Pauley: “That’s true. It may be each a blessing and a curse. Typically it does result in weak contact early in counts if I’m somewhat too aggressive and chasing. I’m capable of hit these pitches, however such as you mentioned, they aren’t those I essentially wish to be hitting. Over time, as I work on my sport extra and see extra pitches, my skill to raised choose the pitches I wish to swing at ought to enhance. That may permit me to make strong contact extra usually.”
Laurila: Can having fast arms be each a blessing and a curse?
Pauley: “It undoubtedly will be each. However once more, I believe that the swing change is permitting me to fit higher and maintain the bat on aircraft for an extended time within the zone. I’m capable of catch pitches out entrance or deep, and hit balls to all elements of the sphere.”
Laurila: How a lot do you research your swing?
Pauley: “I research it somewhat bit, however a whole lot of hitting is really feel for me. I wish to really feel my swing. I additionally wish to understand how my physique is transferring. I’ll watch video and see how I’m transferring, but when it doesn’t really feel proper, then possibly there’s one thing else happening.”
Laurila: What about your strategy on the plate? What are you specializing in?
Pauley: “I’ve all the time been a man who needs to be on time with the heater after which regulate from there. To me, it’s lots simpler to go from quick to sluggish than it’s to go from sluggish to quick. I’d a lot fairly keep on the heater, it doesn’t matter what the depend is.”
Laurila: Any remaining ideas in your growth as a hitter?
Pauley: “One factor I’ve gotten lots higher at is hitting lefties. All through faculty, after which after I first obtained drafted, I all the time struggled in opposition to lefties. This yr my splits have been just about useless even. That’s come from a mixture of seeing extra lefties — seeing increasingly pitches from lefties — and in addition from making that psychological swap the place I do know that the ball is coming by the zone whether or not it’s from a righty or a lefty. Truthfully, I nearly see lefties higher now, as a result of I’m capable of keep in there longer.”
Laurila: Holding your entrance shoulder in ought to assist you hit righties higher, as nicely.
Pauley: “Precisely. It would assist you hit all pitchers.”
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Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller on Pauley:
“The standard of the at-bats have been actually constant from day one, and that’s whether or not it was in opposition to right-handed or left-handed pitching. He is aware of the strike zone nicely. There may be additionally his skill to play a number of spots. We challenged him on the finish of the yr to play somewhat little bit of outfield, play somewhat little bit of second base, and he’s gotten higher as a 3rd baseman. He was our Minor League Participant of the Yr, so he had an important yr total.”
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Earlier “Talks Hitting” interviews can discovered by these hyperlinks: Jo Adell, Jeff Albert, Greg Allen, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Bates, Jacob Berry, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Justice Bigbie, Cavan Biggio, Charlie Blackmon, JJ Bleday, Bobby Bradley, Will Brennan, Jay Bruce, Triston Casas, Matt Chapman, Michael Chavis, Garrett Cooper, Gavin Cross, Jacob Cruz, Nelson Cruz, Paul DeJong, Josh Donaldson, Brendan Donovan, Donnie Ecker, Rick Eckstein, Drew Ferguson, Justin Foscue, Michael Fransoso, Ryan Fuller, Joey Gallo, Paul Goldschmidt, Devlin Granberg, Andy Haines, Mitch Haniger, Robert Hassell III, Austin Hays, Nico Hoerner, Rhys Hoskins, Eric Hosmer, Tim Hyers, Connor Joe, Josh Jung, Jimmy Kerr, Heston Kjerstad, Steven Kwan, Trevor Larnach, Doug Latta, Royce Lewis, Evan Longoria, Michael Lorenzen, Gavin Lux, Dave Magadan, Trey Mancini, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Marcelo Mayer, Hunter Mense, Owen Miller, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Daniel Murphy, Lars Nootbaar, Logan O’Hoppe, Vinnie Pasquantino, Luke Raley, Brent Rooker, Drew Saylor, Marcus Semien, Giancarlo Stanton, Spencer Steer, Trevor Story, Fernando Tatis Jr., Spencer Torkelson, Mark Trumbo, Justin Turner, Trea Turner, Josh VanMeter, Robert Van Scoyoc, Chris Valaika, Zac Veen, Alex Verdugo, Mark Vientos, Matt Vierling, Luke Voit, Anthony Volpe, Joey Votto, Christian Walker, Jared Walsh, Jordan Westburg, Jesse Winker, Bobby Witt Jr. Mike Yastrzemski, Nick Yorke, Kevin Youkilis