By Spencer Fordin
MLB.com Ticket information
DUNEDIN, Fla. — The comparisons are unavoidable. Whenever Aaron Hill’s name comes up, you can bet that Russ Adams’ won’t be far behind. The shortstops share so much in common, from draft status to the way they approach the game.
Both Hill and Adams were first-round picks, and both have earned praise for their work ethic in Toronto’s clubhouse. Adams caught the coaching staff’s eye last spring, and Hill is turning the trick this year. Someday soon, they won’t be special guests when they enter a Major League clubhouse.
“I think they’re both outstanding. Both of them are unbelievably impressive kids,” said Mike Barnett, Toronto’s hitting coach. “As far as stacking up, it would be hard to say. We’ll just let that play out down the line. I like both of their chances an awful lot.”
Adams is at least one level ahead of Hill, but he wasn’t invited to the big-league training camp this year. The Blue Jays took a long look at him last spring, and now it’s Hill’s turn to get some attention. Every day, he’s been in a group with veterans like Chris Gomez and Chris Woodward, and he’s had a chance to watch the way they go about their business.
Toronto’s Spring Training schedule begins Friday, and Woodward’s penciled into the starting lineup at shortstop. Still, at some point, the Jays would like to see what Hill can do.
“I’ve been on cloud nine for the last two weeks, just being up with these guys. It’s an honor,” Hill said Thursday. “I’m looking forward to seeing how they react during the games. I don’t expect anything. I’m just happy to be here, but if I get in, it’s great.”
In one sense, he’s a year late. Adams got to pick Mike Bordick’s brain, an invaluable resource for any young shortstop. Still, Hill said he thinks the experience will make a big impact on his future.
“It’s good to be up here, because you realize you can play in The Show. It’s a learning experience, plus it’s a confidence builder,” he said. “These guys are just like us. They’re no different. You look at them as big leaguers before you meet them, then you get to hang out with all of them.”
The Louisiana State University product can hang with all of them in the batting cage, where his batting stroke needs little or no fine-tuning. When Toronto manager Carlos Tosca was asked what stands out about Hill, he offered a simple two-word answer: “His bat.”
Barnett expanded on that, saying that the prospect’s mechanics are fundamentally sound and that he won’t need to change much in his swing. In fact, the batting coach said Hill was the type of player that makes his job easier.
“It’s just a matter of learning those keys, what he does when he’s going good,” he said. “He’s the type of guy that falls into what we want to have as a young hitter: Very good strike zone discipline, knows the strike zone first and foremost, and the ball flies off his bat. He has ability, there’s no doubt about that.”
That ability was immediately apparent in his first taste of professional action. Hill batted .361 in a half-season at Auburn, Toronto’s Class A affiliate in the New York-Penn League. He was named the prospect of the year in that league, and held his own at Class A Dunedin in the Florida State League.
What’s next? If he follows Adams’ path, Hill will start in that latter league and advance to Double-A by the end of his second season. That would put him, by conservative estimate, at least one season away from the big leagues.
So what happens if both succeed and make it to the big leagues? Toronto won’t hedge bets on which one will stay at shortstop — the decision-makers say they’ll make that decision when and if the time arrives.
As for Hill, he doesn’t seem to mind much either way. When asked what kind of expectations he has for the near future, the shortstop fields the question and fires a quick-strike reply.
“I don’t expect anything,” he said. “I just go out there and try to be the best baseball player every time I step on the field. Whatever happens, happens.”
It may sound hokey, but Hill means it. That’s one of the first things anybody recognizes about him. He genuinely wants to be a better player, and he’s willing to put in the work to do it. Brian Butterfield, Toronto’s infield coach, has had to chase Hill away from a few drills so he can pay proper attention to his other players. Mention Hill’s name to any of the coaches, and they instantly start talking about his consistently-high effort level.
“He loves to work. Some guys get to that point and want to live on their reputation,” Barnett said. “Not him. He wants to get better every day. I’ve been extremely impressed.”
“Some guys can’t turn the page on being the number one pick. We’ve done a great job with him, as far as the attitude he’s brought in here,” Tosca said. “He’s very eager to learn, and begging all the time for extra work. You like to see it — Russ Adams is the same way.”
Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.