Torres Learning the Grind

Nick Torres has made a valuable discovery during the early stages of his minor league career.

The Missions' outfielder knew the brand of baseball was at a higher level than what he experienced at Cal-Poly. However, he didn't realize how grinding life can be in the pros until he went through it first-hand. The road trips are long and off days are few. However, rewards await those willing to make the sacrifice.

Torres, the San Diego Padres' 4th round selection in the 2014 Major League June Draft, definitely has his eye on the big prize of being a major leaguer some day. 

The results in a short period of time indicate the Long Beach, CA product is doing whatever it takes to reach that pinnacle. Following a productive showing during his first year at Eugene, Torres followed with more impressive results a year ago while shining in Single-A at Fort Wayne and Lake Elsinore.

Torres' steady progress is showing this season with the Missions where he is batting .254 with four homers and 17 RBI, while also making his mark in left field.

"Going through the first full season was an eye-opening experience," Torres said. "It's not easy to show up and be consistent every day. It's harder emotionally than physically. That's the biggest thing I have noticed.

"You start missing your family and I miss my fiancé. This is giving you a taste of how it's going to be when you get to the big leagues some day. That's what motivates you to give your best. I hope to reach the big leagues some day and use that platform to help my family and other people."

Maturity has played a part in Torres' success as he's learned to keep things on an even keel. He doesn't get overly excited over the games where everything clicks. At the same time he doesn't beat himself up over the ones that don't go so well.

He takes it in stride and presses forward.

"It's funny," Torres said. "In college I wore my emotions on my sleeve. I was very up and down. I think with the grind of this schedule you are forced to adjust. You have to cut it off and not let it snowball.

"You can't get too high or too low. If I go 4-for-4 I think about what I can carry into the next day and try to make a positive out of it. You have to trust the process and put in the preparation and work beforehand. You don't have to stress. You know your preparation is going to take over."  

That approach worked last year when he made the jump to 

High-A Lake Elsinore.

"That was big motivation for me," Torres said. "It gave me a great feeling of confidence to get bumped up to see what the competition was like at a higher level. I was happy to get up there and go against better opponents."

Now, he's at Double-A where the competition is even greater. Torres is happy to be there. He's feeling comfortable with his teammates and believes their chemistry is going to be a plus. 

What makes it even more to his liking is being able to contribute on a regular basis.

A major highlight came during the recent homestand when Torres helped break open a tight game against Midland by

belting his first grand slam of his baseball career in a 10-3 

win.

"That was big for me," Torres said. "I have never hit a grand slam at any level. It was fun. I feel good about how things are going. I am trying to get the most out of myself to see how I can help my team. I've been putting a lot of work in. I started off slow but I am feeling better at the plate."

After the first month in the Texas League, Torres has an idea of what it will take to succeed.

"It's an adjustment, but I think I will figure it out as the season goes on," Torres said. "First, it is a matter of being a competitor. That's the one way of adjusting to anything. You always have to ask yourself how can I work through this?

"As the season goes you realize what works at this level. Every level you have to gain confidence. I still have a long way to go. I can improve in every facet of my game. That is something that is going to come as the season goes along, but I feel like I am on the right track."