Chicago White Sox: Exclusive interview with prospect Blake Battenfield

Expectations for 2019

Q: You finished last season in High-A Winston Salem. Where do you expect to start 2019?

A: I would hope to be back in Kannapolis. My goal is always just to keep my head down and do my job, I just try to perform to the best of my abilities every time I get the call, and let the rest of the things take care of themselves.

Q: In college at Oklahoma State, you worked primarily out of the bullpen. How was the transition to the rotation, and can you see yourself back in a relief role in the future?

A: College I had to prepare for any situation, because I did work primarily out of the bullpen, but I did make a few starts, especially in my last season at Oklahoma State. The transition wasn’t hard, like I said I had a lot of really good guys around me, the pitching staff and coaching staff just kind of walking me through, telling me “this is how to prepare, this is what to look for”. Going forward I’m going to do what the organization wants me to do, if they say “hey, we think you would perform better out of the bullpen” then so be it, I’m just going to go out there and compete to the best of my abilities whether it be in the first inning or in the ninth inning, it doesn’t matter.

Q: What are your goals and expectations for the 2019 season?

A: Just show up prepared to Spring Training, and pitch, pitching in spring training is like pitching in the playoffs to me, so I just need to be prepared, and just keep my head down, and do what I’m supposed to do. Obviously the goal is to make it to the big leagues, I feel like the better I perform, the quicker I can get up there. The goal though is to make it to the top, wherever that starts. Pitching is pitching–that’s the best way I can put it.