Mack - First of all, thank you Joe for visiting with me for a few questions. The first is in regards to your experience so far with your choice of attending Arizona State. Tell us a little about that.
Joe - Choosing to attend Arizona State was the best decision of my life. I originally attended UC Davis out of high school, realized it wasn’t a good fit for me, so I transferred to Santa Rosa Junior College. During this process, my goal was to get to a school where the team mindset is national championship or bust, and each player's personal goals were to play professional baseball.
With Arizona State, I am grateful enough to get the best of both worlds, and I am confident in saying I have the best coaching staff in the country. Day in and day out, I am being pushed, and every little detail on defense and offense is being watched. I have never experienced something like it before, but I know it is preparing me for pro ball and life after ASU.
Mack - I originally had you projected as an outfielder, but Joe Doyle of Prospect Live convinced me that you were one of the top second basemen in this draft. What position do you see yourself finally ending up on in the game?
Joe - I take pride in being able to play every position on the field. Whether it be infield or outfield, I have worked to get the tools and coordination to play both. After playing my freshman year at shortstop at SRJC, and the collegiate summer ball season at second base, I came into my sophomore year at Arizona State just wanting a crack in the lineup. I was willing to do whatever it took for me to help the team win games and for me to get consistent at bats, and that meant being plugged into centerfield.
I took the task on as a challenge. Everyday I pushed myself to learn as much as possible about outfield footwork, angles, reads, etc, and I focused on my speed training more than ever before. In the end, I can see myself playing SS/2B or CF at the pro level.
Mack - I love your .461 slugging percentage last season, but Perfect Game had you as the top outfield defender at the Cape this summer. Do you consider yourself a defense first player, a bat first, or both?
Joe - I consider myself a prototypical 1 hole or 2 hole hitter, with the potential to plug into any position at a high level. I feel like I made the most out of opportunities in the 9 hole last year for ASU, and hope to change the narrative of glove first to above average hitting and defense with more looks in the lead off spot this spring.
Mack - You came out of Casa Grande High School (CA.) and followed that with a stint at Santa Rosa Junior College (CA.) and the Headsburg Prune Pakcers (CA.) before becoming a Sun Devil. I guess this makes what you are currently doing quite rewarding?
Joe - My whole life I have been overlooked and undersized. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school when I started hitting with Joey Gomes where my life started to change. Joey trained my mentality and fueled my work ethic to be the most physical, toolsy player I could be in a short amount of time.
Before my freshman year of college, I wouldn't have categorized myself as a draft guy, but as a player who plays the game hard and the right way. Not exactly a showcase kind of player, but a guy who is going to consistently challenge defenders, find a way to crack the lineup, and not afraid to back down to competition. With the addition of plus tools I have added to my arsenal, it has helped add to my game, and get some recognition on a national level. That being said, I am grateful for the experiences, opportunities, and believers that have been in my corner since day one. We aren’t done!!!
Mack - Joe, what have you been working at this summer to even improve your game more heading into the draft?
Joe - With the new coaching staff at Arizona State, I am learning more and more about ways to cut down distance to balls in the outfield with my footwork. So I would say I am upgrading my defense to an even higher level than it was at last year. Then, I am doing speed work with our strength trainer to keep my speed at an elite level, and I am really learning how to steal bases. The coaching staff is showing me things I have never been taught before, and how to take advantage of little things in the game. As far as offense goes, I’ll let my actions speak for themselves this spring.
Mack - And lastly… the question I ask everyone I interview… what is the first thing you are going to buy with your signing bonus money?
Joe - I will buy a nice steak dinner with the people who had the biggest impact on my career and development, and then invest the rest.
*** DON'T FORGET***
Go to every day for up to date prospect info on the 2022, 2023, and 2024 class:
: https://mlbdraftdatabase.blogspot.com/
3 comments:
I like Lampe's fire. Who couldn't root for a kid like him to succeed?
Lampe will be a star.but I believe his future is on second.
I love players like this . .
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