Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka takes Post readers behind the scenes as he tries to stay prepared for the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. As told to Ken Davidoff.
Hello again from Oregon. I’m still working out, still taking batting practice on my father-in-law’s grass field. Still doing the blocking drills, as well, with the help of my wife Alyse. I don’t want to get out of playing shape because we still need to be ready if we’re called upon so we can play.
If they announce there’s going to be a season, I’m not going to start training harder. I’m already at that level that I need to be at. I’m just kind of waiting.
I know the “Arizona plan” got a lot of attention last week, and my agents at Beverly Hills Sports Council kind of gave me the scoop on that. I’d be glad just to play baseball at all. I’d be grateful for the opportunity to have even a partial season. It would give fans something to look forward to. I don’t know how many other live sports would be on TV. It might give everyone a little escape. I don’t know anything about the logistics, but I would feel very fortunate to play this year if we have a season.
Unlike many Yankees players when we’re not in a season, I’m still using a razor occasionally. I don’t like to grow a ton of facial hair. I just keep my growth trimmed down to stubble. Whenever it gets to a certain length, it gets pretty itchy. I’m not quite clean-shaven, but I don’t have a beard either. In Asian terms, I’ve got a three-day growth, but it’s like a week’s worth of growth for me, I’m on a different schedule.
I’m still staying in touch with a lot of teammates, and also some guys on other teams. I became friendly last year with Brad Miller when he spent some time with Scranton. We talk about soccer a good amount.
It took me a while to reach this point in my career. The Yankees picked me in the seventh round of the 2008 draft, the same year they picked Gerrit Cole, now my teammate, in the first round (he didn’t sign with us, of course). I think my path has helped me deal with this situation, just like it has helped to define me as a player. I was never a guy who would step into a situation and just dominate. Every single time, it was always a matter of failing first, and then learning how to succeed, and eventually succeeding.
There was a time in 2012 when I was playing once a week at (Single-A) Tampa, backing up Gary Sanchez. That was probably my lowest point, when I doubted my ability to make it. Then the next year, while I was backing up John Ryan Murphy at (Double-A) Trenton, I needed Tommy John surgery on my right elbow and missed a year. After the 2014 season, though, I played in the Arizona Fall League as a taxi-squad player. Even though I played in only six games, I hit .409. I was really crushing the ball. There are a lot of decent prospects in the fall league, and from that, I thought, “OK, I’ve still got it. I just need to figure out how to do this on a consistent basis.” Since then, it’s been an upward climb, I would say.
I think my path has helped a lot because it’s made me more a student of the game. I’ve had to really learn in depth about every aspect of the game, just so I can compete at the highest level, I think each year has consistently gotten a little better and better since I got called up for the first time in 2017, and if we play, this is the year it really comes together. I was feeling that way in spring training.
I just hope we play.
