Skip to main content

Barnes Benefits From Training and MLB Exposure

LAKEWOOD, NJ- Minor leaguer Jeremy Barnes is starting out the 2011 season with the same team he was with last year, but if you ask Barnes, he'd tell you that he has absolutely made progress. Barnes, an infielder with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, spent his winter in the home town of his MLB parent club, the Philadelphia Phillies, working on improving himself as an athlete.

Barnes was selected in the 11th round of the 2009 amateur draft out of the University of Notre Dame. As a member of the Fighting Irish, Barnes had his first connection to the Phillies organization even before he was drafted. While there, he wore the same jersey number, 20, that Philadelphia reliever Brad Lidge once sported while on the Notre Dame baseball team.

Barnes, who turns 24-years-old this week, has been an all-star in each of his two professional seasons. In 2009 he batted .287 with 4 homers and 27 RBI in 55 games to become an all-star for the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York-Penn League, then in 2010, he posted a .292 average with 4 homeruns and 51 RBI in 109 games and represented the BlueClaws in the South Atlantic League All-star Game.

Despite that solid success, however, the right-handed hitting Barnes had an opportunity to improve during the winter months and he took advantage of it. Barnes received a proposal to reside in Philadelphia throughout the off-season and work out at the Power Train Sports Institute from a contact within the Phillies organization.

"I know a guy named Rob Potts, who throws batting practice for the Phillies, that asked if I wanted to come work out at Power Train and hit in the cages, so I took him up on the offer," Barnes said. "It was great and I plan on doing it again next off-season."

Power Train is known for hosting, and providing elite training to, professional athletes in varying sports at the company's locations all over the region.

"I had a really productive off-season. I ended up working out with (Phillies left fielder) Raul Ibanez four or five days a week. It was a good situation with me, had a lot of fun and learned a lot," Barnes said.

Both Barnes and Ibanez, who met at the company's Cherry Hill, NJ training center, worked closely with the staff, who provided a conditioning and strengthening routine designed to develop endurance and enhance performance.

"It wasn't necessarily Raul's (routine) or mine that we did, but we had trainers and we'd go and meet there and do their routines and go hit on our own. My trainer, Ryan Stack, was unbelievable. I worked closely with him and I think I gained a lot of strength and he got me where I need to be," Barnes added.

The hard work paid off quickly for the 5-foot-10-inch, 195 pound Barnes, who has been manning 3rd base on the field and had a strong spring. Lakewood manager Chris Truby took notice and has penciled Barnes, who batted toward the bottom of the BlueClaws' batting order last season, into the third spot in the lineup for the two-time defending South Atlantic League champions.

"I feel good with where my swing is, I'm a year older and hopefully better prepared. As far as hitting in the 3 hole, I'm still trying to accomplish the same things...still trying to hit the ball hard. When guys are on, the goal is to drive them in, whether I'm in the 3 hole or in the 9 hole."

Barnes was fortunate enough to test his extensive off-season work during spring training by facing a few Major League pitchers. AJ Burnett of the Yankees, the Phillies' own Roy Oswalt and Brett Cecil from the Blue Jays were the established hurlers that Barnes batted against in Florida this spring. Barnes saw success against the big shots, slamming a homer off of Burnett and lacing a double against Cecil.

"It was just big to see that I could get in there and have success at that level and against big league pitching. Now, I just want to keep using what I worked on in the off-season and keep growing in myself and in what I am trying to accomplish at the plate. I had a good spring training and now I'm ready for the full season." ___________________________________________________________

You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE.

You can also connect with PhoulBallz on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Prospect Nation 2012: #1 RHP Trevor May

With a massively impressive campaign in 2011 for the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, right-handed starting pitcher Trevor May locked down his spot as Philadelphia's top prospect and is on the fast track toward the big leagues. He is the reigning Paul Owens Award winner, given to the top pitcher and player in the Phillies' developmental system each year. In 27 starts with the Threshers in 2011, May posted a 10-8 record with a 3.63 ERA, while striking out a Florida State League leading 208 batters in 151 1/3 innings. He also held opposing hitters to a .221 average. The Phillies' 4th round draft pick from 2008, May earned the win in the 50th annual Florida State League All-Star Game at Bright House Field last year. He also was twice named FSL Pitcher of the Week and earned Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month honors for June. After signing with Philadelphia, May helped lead the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies to a championship in 2008. In 5 regular

World Series Preview: Phillies vs. Astros

The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network.  ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston.  RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA).  In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA.  Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason.  Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston.  In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.  Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts.  Verlander has 11 starts allowing one run or fewer in

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Ben Brown talks TJ recovery, O'Hoppe, cancelled season

Image- MiLB.com Out of action since last May when it was determined he required Tommy John surgery, righty pitching prospect Ben Brown is using the downtime of the pandemic hiatus to continue his physical recovery.  A 33rd round draft selection of the Phillies back in 2017, Brown made his professional debut that same year, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 10 appearances in the rookie level Gulf Coast League.  The following season, Brown began to make a name for himself in the GCL, striking out 16 batters in one July appearance.  He would post a 3.12 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) before earning a promotion and finishing the season with a pair of outings with Class A short-season Williamsport. Brown, a Long Island, NY native, opened last year with Class A Lakewood.  In four appearances with the BlueClaws, he struck out 20, walked four and allowed no runs in 13 2/3 innings and looked well on his way to making an impact on betting odds and available promo codes