Cameron Barstad was pleasantly surprised when he arrived at his locker this year for his first major league spring training camp.
The 2018 graduate of Serra is a non-roster invitee to the Miami Marlins big league camp this spring. Typically, non-roster guys have their uniform numbers relegated to the 70s, 80s, or even 90s. But when the 2018 sixth-round draft pick looked at his jersey, it was etched with just about the coolest baseball number there is — No. 44.
“I was pretty surprised because, usually, a younger guy like me doesn’t get such a low number,” Barstad said. “But I do like it. I think it’s a cool number.”
Barstad got into his first spring training game Wednesday against the Washington Nationals. He pinch hit for Adam Duvall in the sixth inning, and was as aggressive as could be, swinging at the first offering from Nationals right-hander Joan Adon and promptly flew out to left field.
The 20-year-old, left-handed hitting catcher is just happy to be back on the field, though. His high school career ended prematurely when Barstad suffered a hairline fracture of the wrist of his left, non-throwing hand. Since then, he has played in just 15 minor league games, debuting with the Gulf Coast League Marlins in 2019.
In 2020, he was preparing for his first full season of minor league baseball when the coronavirus pandemic hit, causing the major league schedule to be abbreviated to 60 games, and forcing the cancelation off all minor league games.
“At first, my reaction, we didn’t really think much of it,” Barstad said. “After it kept going on, I was thinking it sucks. It was going to be my first full year back from the wrist injury. … I was looking to have a breakout year. But everything happens for a reason.”
This year marked Barstad’s second spring training. He was in minor league camp last season but got the opportunity to catch a few of the dynamic arms from the Marlins’ deep well of young pitching. He recalled catching right-hander Sixto Sanchez, the 22-year-old phenom who made his major league debut late last season before totaling two starts in Miami’s first postseason appearance since 2003.
“Sixto is one of the most fun I’ve ever caught,” Barstad said. “He makes it look like nothing but it’s a hundred miles per hour. And it’s always around the zone. You can just tell he’s a big league player.”
When Barstad debuted with the GCL Marlins in 2019, it was the first time he played in an organized game since May 1, 2018, at Serra. He was out of action for over a year, and batted a modest .167 (6 for 36) in GCL action. He did club one home run, though, with a three-run shot to left-center field Aug. 4, 2019, against the GCL Astros.
“Obviously, it was a year and two months since I played a real game,” Barstad said. “There’s the roller coaster of, am I ever going to get back to what I was before? But I got through it, put it behind me, and I am stronger than I was before. Got to keep pushing.”
Prior to seeing pro action, though, Barstad was invited to the Marlins’ 2019 Captain’s Camp at Marlins Park, an orientation for young prospects in the organization, named for Marlins’ CEO Derek “The Captain” Jeter.
“It was cool,” Barstad said. “I was in the dugout and I turned around, and I was like: Hey, Derek Jeter is right behind me.”
Much of the minor league schedule is still in flux at this point. Tuesday, it was announced the start of the Triple-A season will be delayed until May as MLB teams will once again use their Triple-A facilities as alternate training sites. The lower minor leagues, where Barstad is almost certain to be assigned, are slated to start May 4.
In terms of the MLB schedule, Barstad said the talk around camp is baseball is committed to playing a 162-game schedule.
“The vibe we’re getting from the older guys and the front office and everything is we’re ready to play 162 games,” Barstad said.