![]() Mario Feliciano – profiling as the team's catcher of the future – is the fifth catcher on the 40-man but has played only 298 games in the minors leagues and just three at Class AA Biloxi. ![]() With Omar Narváez and Manny Piña on top of the depth chart, Nottingham and Luke Maile figure to be jockeying for the No. Nottingham, who turns 26 on April 3, is one of five catchers on the 40-man roster. RELATED: Brewers' Christian Yelich embraces 'fresh start' after poor 2020 We’re kind of day by day in terms of getting him into baseball activities." "We’re going to be behind with Jacob," Counsell said. "He’s not going to be on the field early in the Cactus League season. Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Nottingham's recovery from late-December surgery on his left thumb has been slowed to the point that he's not participating in workouts and instead being limited to "small baseball activities." “You’re more involved in the game and that’s what I’ve always played.Jacob Nottingham's quest to distinguish himself in the Milwaukee Brewers' deep catching group has been detoured for the time being. ![]() Given a choice between catcher and first base, Nottingham said it’s easy. Some have said he might end up at first base, where he has played 11 games this season through Friday.īut Lopez was quick to point out that part of the reason Nottingham was in Lancaster was that he could handle the league defensively, although it’s to his benefit to learn first base, too. 23 prospect by MLB.com and a big part of that is his bat. Nottingham is now listed as the Astros’ No. “And you have to learn what they like to throw.” Nottingham said a big part of the learning curve for him as a pro was the defensive part. “When Jacob is going well, he’s hitting to the right-center field gap,” Valencia said. Valencia won’t see him play in person until he comes to San Bernardino, but has watched videos of his home runs. Nottingham has already gotten to play closer to home by playing in Lake Elsinore last weekend and Rancho Cucamonga earlier this week. He’s doing a lot of those same things now.” “He was always doing things way above and beyond his age. “The thing with Jacob is he has great baseball instincts,” Valencia said. Nor is it a surprise to Estevan Valencia, his coach at Redlands. I think he’s been disciplined and taking care of his business.” “He was really young, but he had potential. “I saw him a couple of years ago, I think it was in instructional league,” Lopez said. His success this season is not a surprise to Lancaster manager Omar Lopez. Shortly after the second half began, Nottingham was promoted to high Single-A Lancaster, where he had hits in each of his first nine games through Friday and hit his second California League home run on Friday. I worked hard in spring training, made a full-season team and everything just fell into place.” So I think that helped a lot coming into this year. … A lot of great guys who were working out with me. His success, he said, was as a result of time he put in before the season, when he was “just working hard, especially in the off-season and working out. Even though his all-star team was shut out on three hits, Nottingham was 2 for 2. 330 with 10 home runs and earned a spot in the Midwest League all-star game. “We had games where it was really cold and hard to hit,” Nottingham said.Īs the weather warmed, so did Nottingham.īy the end of the first half, he was batting. ![]() 273 batting average in April might not look impressive, but many Midwest League games in April are played in chilly conditions, He nonetheless got promoted to his first full-season team this year, low Single-A Quad Cities, and got off to a good start. ![]() Nottingham, who was also an outstanding tight end at Redlands with a football scholarship offer, chose to sign with the Astros rather than go to the University of Oklahoma for baseball. The 6-foot-3 catcher was drafted in the sixth round and the highest catcher taken by the Houston Astros, but they also drafted two other college catchers in the first 19 rounds. After all, even as a sophomore at Redlands High School in 2011, he batted. In high school, there was no question whether he could hit. I can’t thank them enough for supporting me.” “…I can’t wait to see all my friends and family. “I played only one (high school) game there in the County Clash, but I played there a lot in showcases,” Nottingham said. He’ll get a chance to play at San Manuel Stadium against the 66ers for the first time beginning Wednesday. This year, however, he has made a big improvement and now that improvement can be seen closer to home as he is off to a good start with the Lancaster JetHawks. But his first two professional seasons were not impressive at the plate. ![]()
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