Papierski Brings College Success to Astros/ValleyCats

Months ago, Michael Papierski was being noticed by scouts at Louisiana State University for his defensive prowess behind the plate. A back of the order hitter, he was seen as someone who could add value in other ways than his bat. Despite this assumption, a funny thing began to occur: Papierski's bat caught up at just the right time.

If you look at his 2017 junior year statistics, you can see the improvement after the fact. He hit a career high 11 home runs and had 39 runs batted in, as well as raising his batting average from .242 in 2016 to .256. However, Papierski, who is a switch hitter, began to transition to exclusively right handed hitting late in the year, and the results showed.
Papierski rode a hot streak that pushed LSU to the College World Series, and he quickly developed a reputation as a clutch hitter in the postseason. Papierski hit two home runs in a game vs. Oregon State, and delivered the go-ahead RBI in both Super Regional wins over Mississippi State.
Papierski's success helped push him into the 9^th round, where he was selected by the Houston Astros 271^st overall. Now that Papierski is in affiliated baseball, he can look back on his time at LSU fondly.
"I loved Coach Mainieri, he did a great job," said Papierski. "I loved the fans and everything about LSU. Then, I got drafted by the Astros and I couldn't be happier".
Papierski was born in Lemont, IL, and grew up in the town he describes as "really cold". Baseball began for him at a really early age, where he learned the nuances of the game from his dad.
"It's cold up there, so in the winter you've got to be inside," said Papierski. "In my basement, we actually have a batting cage, and when I was two or three, my dad would throw me big beach balls and I would just hit those".
Papierski began to switch hit when he was eight years old, and grew up playing in the infield. Early on in his career, he realized that he wasn't meant to be there.
"I used to play short and I used to play third but my dad was like, you know you are a little too slow to play those positions," said Papierski with a chuckle. "I started working behind home plate when I was super young and I love working back there. I'm always in the game for every pitch and I get to call my own game up here.
Over the course of his career, Papierski has worked with some talented pitchers. He attended the same high school as Minnesota Twins 2015 1^st round pick Tyler Jay, as well as working constantly with LSU teammates Alex Lange (Chicago Cubs 1^st round - 2017), Jared Poché (Oakland Athletics 9^th round - 2017) and Hunter Kiel (Chicago White Sox 18^th round - 2017). Papierski feels that working with these pitchers is mutually beneficial for all of them.
"You have to work hard," said Papierski. "Lange with that big breaking ball and Tyler Jay the same thing in high school. It's just awesome to catch those guys and deal with people that good".
Papierski will look to join one of the 49 ValleyCats to have previously made it to the majors, and join former LSU Tigers Alex Bregman and Will Harris. Papierski is a good friend of Bregman and has trained with him a number of times, including their time at LSU.
As Papierski begins to transition from college baseball to professional baseball, he will look to continue to develop his game. Ultimately, the importance of being a leader on the team and in the organization is something that drives him.
"You have to be a leader behind the plate," said Papierski. "Everyone is looking at you and depending on how you are doing, either at the plate or behind the plate, you have to keep a positive attitude".
The biggest importance for Papierski will be to manage pitchers, something he didn't have to do while at LSU. The ability to call a game is something that allows catchers to progress and Papierski understand it's importance.
"Learning the pitchers, learning to call pitches, and what the attack plan of the Astros is and just learning the game are important because I didn't call the game in college," said Papierski. "I would look at my pitching coach and he would call the pitches, but in my head I would think 'what would I call?' and is was usually pretty similar".
Interestingly enough, Papierski was able to gain valuable experience when former AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel made a rehab appearance with the 'Cats. Papierski caught the game for him, and took away some valuable lessons from the experience.
"He said to just keep taking control of the pitching staff, keep working hard and it should take care of itself," said Papierski. "He didn't miss his spots, I mean everything was good, and that's why he is former Cy Young winner".
Papierski will see a lot of time as a primary catcher, while splitting time with Carlos Canelon, an international free agent from 2014, and Gabriel Bracamonte, another international free agent from 2014. With room for improvement, Papierski will look to take the next step in his baseball career.