Blue Wahoos' Contreras Realizes Dream As Gold Glove Winner
Mark Contreras expected the phone call last Friday to be a follow-up about his trip to Fort Myers for instructional camp at the Minnesota Twins training complex.He was instead floored to learn he became a Gold Glove Award recipient."I was like, wait, what?," he asked Brian Maloney, the Twins senior
He was instead floored to learn he became a Gold Glove Award recipient.
"I was like, wait, what?," he asked Brian Maloney, the Twins senior manager of minor league operations.
No kidding. This was real.
In fact, Contreras, who appeared in 85 games this season for the Blue Wahoos, including 69 in the outfield, was chosen as Gold Glove left fielder for all Minor League Baseball. Only nine players in MiLB at the nine positions are awarded a Gold Glove.
The prestigious honor was reflection of his season, which included 13 outfield assists and no errors in 182 chances. His versatility was shown by playing 46 games in left field, 16 in center, seven in right field.
"I was excited," said Contreras, who hit 10 home runs and drove in 33 runs with the Blue Wahoos. "(Maloney) was like, 'I just wanted to let you know, so you don't get blindsided.' And I was like, 'I'm blindsided right now!' I was shocked.
"It's crazy to think that I just won the Gold Glove for all the minor leagues in left field. It's an honor to be recognized for my defense. It's awesome and it just goes to show that the hard work is playing off. Everything we did during spring training with the outfield coordinator (Mike Quade) got us ready to do the right things."
Contreras, 24, a Moreno Valley, Calif. native, grew up dreaming of being an outfielder like his idol, Ken Griffey Jr. He had a standout high school career, leading into college at the University of California-Riverside and became a ninth round pick by the Twins in 2017.
He's advanced four levels in two seasons, after beginning with the Twins' Rookie League affiliate, the Elizabethton (Tenn.) Twins in the Appalachian League.
In November, he will travel to the Twins training facility in Fort Myers for two weeks of focused instruction prior to Thanksgiving.
"It keeps us on our toes and working on the right things in the off-season," Contreras said. "It tunes us up for what the organization expects us to show up with for Spring Training.
"It's very helpful to get pointers and work with the coordinators one-on-one. I really enjoy it and it keeps the players on the right track and gives me an understanding of what I need to keep working on."
Contreras was one of five Double-A players in the Southern League to be chosen for a Gold Glove.
The others who spent at least part of the season in the Southern League were Tennessee Smokies catcher
"I started in High-A and I wasn't really playing to the level I should," Contreras said. "Jaylin Davis tweaked his ankle and they trusted me to come up and cover until Jaylin came back. I came up and did what I had to do in Double-A and that gave me confidence that I could play up here. Being up and down a few times gave me that motivation and proved to myself that I could play in Double-A. Yeah, I didn't have a great season in Fort Myers, but that taste of Double-A made me feel like I could turn it around by working hard and staying focused."
"I've still got a lot to work on, but I'm going in the right direction now."