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NILES -- One week was all they gave Bryan Lavastida.
The Cleveland Indians prospect and current Mahoning Valley Scrapper was drafted out of Hillsborough Community College, where he played shortstop and third base. Those were the positions he played since he was a kid. So, naturally, when he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 15th round of the 2018 MLB Draft, they told him he would be playing catcher.
Wait, what?
"It was a Marlins (scout) that first told me, 'Hey, you should try behind the plate one time. That's probably where your future is,' " Lavastida recalled. "So I just started practicing a little and playing around back there.
"I caught probably a total of three games in (junior college), so my first time completely catching was here in pro ball. The transition from catching ground balls to catching 97-mile-an-hour fastballs behind the plate was huge for me."
Arguably the hardest position to play in baseball, a catcher is asked to do numerous tasks.
Lavastida said he has to understand different game situations as well as knowing which pitches are working for a pitcher and which ones are not. He doesn't just catch the ball. He has to "present" the ball to the umpire and receive it properly to give his pitchers the best chance at getting a strike called.
He must smother balls in the dirt and react in an instant to the movement of a pitch. He has to keep an eye on baserunners and make sure his footwork and arm motion are correct when they attempt to steal. Oh, and knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the hitter and keeping the pitchers calm never hurts either.
Since Lavastida had not played catcher for an extended period of time, surely he would be slowly developed before being put into a professional game.
Yeah, about that.
"Maybe a week in the (Arizona League)," said Lavastida of how much time he had to learn the position before starting a game.
There was a reason he was asked to change positions and thrown into the fire.
The organization wanted to know right away if the 20-year-old from Hialeah, Florida could adapt. Mahoning Valley fielding coach Omir Santos also said Lavastida has a high baseball IQ, which played into the decision.
Lavastida, who batted .384 with 21 doubles and 30 stolen bases at Hillsborough in 2017, is an athletic player as well, so the combination of skills made him a good candidate for the change. Still, even Santos was surprised at how quickly Lavastida caught on.
"Not that quick to playing games," said Santos of whether he has ever seen someone make this type of transition. "He's getting everything really quick, and he's really athletic. He was a shortstop, and every shortstop can play just about any position, and he worked hard in extended spring training.
"We feel like he's pretty advanced to come here and play as a catcher. We've seen some very good things from him. Blocking is the toughest thing when you try to play that position, and he's doing that really well. We feel like he's ready."
So does Lavastida.
An admitted underdog who was not highly recruited out of high school, he doesn't lack confidence, but he also expresses a determination to prove people wrong.
During his time in the Arizona League (also known as Rookie League), he hit .292 with 20 RBIs and five stolen bases in 120 at-bats. Maybe of more importance was his experience behind the plate.
"A big challenge for me was just catching the ball, and then on top of that you need to present it nice to the umpire and everything," he said. "And there's no hops, so it's just (different). You might think it's easy, but then balls are running out over the plate. Some run in, some cut away, so it was harder than I thought it would be."
After a year in the system, he's finally beginning to feel like a catcher.
He already had impressive arm strength (another reason for the position change), and being bilingual, he was able communicate with just about anyone on the mound. Now that he has had a season to catch and gain a different perspective, Lavastida is ready to make the next step.
"At the beginning, I just told (the pitchers), 'Bear with me. I'm doing my best back here, trying to get better every day,' " he said. "Now I'm getting more comfortable at it, so everything is getting easier, and the game gets a lot slower."
Santos and the Indians saw the progress, which is why they promoted him from Arizona.
They're glad they did, and Santos says fans will like what they see from the up-and-comer.
"At that position, he's going to climb the ladder quicker than at shortstop," said Santos of Lavastida's progression through the minor leagues. "… After a few games, maybe a few weeks, you're going to see a different catcher from the first day. He's really smart, and he gets things quickly, so that's the good thing about him. That's why we feel like he's going to be a good catcher."