BISCUITS SPOTLIGHT: Auer taking time in development
Biscuits manager Morgan Ensberg instructs Mason Auer on the base paths. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
He’s the highest rated outfielder in Tampa Bay’s minor league system but Mason Auer has no illusions about breaking into Major League Baseball any time soon. It’s a process, he figures, that can’t be rushed with any artificial timetable.
“I’m just out here playing every day,” Auer said. “It’s ultimately up to them. If you’re consistent with the bat and you’re hitting every day, they’re not going to keep you down for long, as long as you’re dominating the level. So you’ve got to dominate at that level before you can go up.”
Auer has always used a strong work ethic to exceed expectations, but he’s been mired in a hitting drought since his elevation to Double-A Montgomery this season.
“He’s another great athlete, a guy that really puts in the work and has a really high upside,” Montgomery manager Morgan Ensberg said. “He’s going through what Double-A players go through all the time. He’s making an adjustment and I really see this more as a recalibration.”
A Springfield, Mo., native, Auer was drafted out of Kickapoo High as a pitcher and shortstop, batting .321 at the plate and compiling a 0.79 earned run average on the mound. As one of the nation;s top right handers, he was drafted in the 39th round by the Cubs.
“I got calls earlier in the draft that year, but it wasn’t the time for me to go,” Auer said. “I think I made a pretty good decision. It’s hard to turn down your dream out of high school, but you’ve got to believe in yourself. It was a tough decision, though.”
He went to Missouri State instead, but what seemed like the right choice a few months earlier suddenly didn’t seem like a good fit.
“I went to Missouri State for a year, out of high school, and I decided that wasn’t the spot for me,” Auer said. “So I entered the transfer portal. I had heard about San Jacinto from people who had gotten drafted, so when I hit the transfer portal their coach called me and that was a pretty easy decision for me.”
San Jacinto, a junior college in the Houston suburb of Pasadena, was a constant JUCO World Series participant (they just earned their 28th berth this year) that earned him an offer from Oregon and a chance to improve his stock in the Major League Draft as he alternated between the outfield and pitcher.
“I was going to play outfield but come in and close (at Oregon),” Auer said. “I’ve always done that my whole life, pitched and played the outfield. I didn’t start playing outfield until I was in high school but I had always pitched. Pitching has always been there for me.”
A fifth-round selection of the Rays in the 2021 Major League Draft, Auer turned heads quickly. He put his pitching aside and concentrated on becoming an every-day outfielder as the Rays learned they had drafted a diamond in the rough, a player that had a cannon for an arm and can accelerate from home plate to first base faster than most Major League players.
“He’s an exciting player, a guy who can steal bases, plays great defense, has some serious pop,” Ensberg said. “It’s just a matter of time before he puts it all together.”
On the positive side, Auer ranks third in the Southern League in stolen bases, on pace to catch Greg Jones’ team record of 37 stolen bases set last year. On the negative side, he ranks third in the Southern League in strikeouts, a number he needs to lower to match last year’s performance.
Last year, at Single-A Charleston and Bowling Green, he batted .290 with 21 doubles, 12 triples, 15 home runs and 62 RBIs. He was listed by MLB Pipeline as Tampa’s eight-rated prospect. This season, through the first 33 games, he is batting .130 with three doubles, no triples, a home run and four RBIs.
“There is an adjustment to be made, but people go through struggles at times,” Auer said. “I think it’s more of a mindset thing than anything. We’ve been doing some swing things here and working on it, so hopefully I can turn it around pretty quickly.”
Occasionally, he’ll line up as if he’s a pitcher throwing to teammates, but he’s no longer the high school pitching standout that attracted professional scouts.
“Sometimes I do (miss it),” he said, “but I love to play every day and I love to play the outfield and hit.”
Now, he hopes his talent in the outfield can carry him to the big leagues.
“It’s a blessing,” he said. “I love this organization and they let me be myself on the field. Being an outfielder, what I’ve done for a very long time, I’m just blessed to be here.”
The Biscuits continue a six-game homestand against Biloxi on Wednesday. Montgomery lost the opener, 10-8. Tickets are available at biscuitsbaseball.com.