After an off day, the Blue Jays shift focus to a key series against the Padres, following recent games with the AL's leading team. This upcoming stretch, featuring pivotal matchups against the Rays and Rangers, is critical for the Jays' chance to improve their season record. In parallel, Addison Barger's story highlights his upbringing and the stark contrasts in youth baseball training approaches between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, emphasizing the importance of raw talent and specialized skills development in fostering athletic potential.
"There's a difference between a 14-year-old Dominican and your average 14-year-old American," says Barger. "In the U.S., we're focused on being good at baseball and learning the game; their focus is more, 'How hard can I throw?' and, 'How hard can I hit the ball?' as young as possible in order to sign."
"They're all tooled out," he continues. "So, the difference is you have to focus on getting those tools up because at that point, I was a good player. I could field groundballs, I had a decent arm and I could hit a little bit. But I didn't have power. My tools were never amazing and I think the experience helped me exaggerate focusing on the tools."
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