CHARLESTON, WV – If you catch the West Virginia Power, you are all but guaranteed to see two names on the lineup card: Carlos Munoz and Daniel Arribas. The two have appeared in 83 and 86 of the Power’s 93 games, respectively. The duo splits time at first base and designated hitter, and, through their five years together in the Pirates organization, they have developed into complementary players. What one lacks, the other has.
Unfortunately, as a formula for prospect development, that yin-yang relationship does not work particularly well. To become viable prospects in the system, Arribas and Munoz are working together to flesh out their talents and become better all-around ballplayers.
“They work together every day,” said Power manager Brian Esposito. “Each one of them has different things they’re trying to improve and work on.”
Offensive Opposites
Carlos Munoz’s weakness is fairly apparent. At 5′ 11″, 225 pounds, his conditioning has often been called into question. A troubling trend seems to lend credence to these concerns. In his last three seasons of short-season ball, Munoz’s numbers have fallen drastically late in the season. Last year, Munoz broke out in July with a .396/.461/.733 line in 25 games, but in 26 games in August, he hit .229/.381/.434.
Munoz spent the winter playing in his native Mexico, and made some significant changes to his nutrition and fitness programs.
Munoz says he’s trying to stick with the healthier lifestyle instilled in him over the winter.
“I’m trying to stay really healthy, trying to recover,” he said. “I’m trying to get some sleep, trying to eat well, and all of those things because I know it’s a long season.”
Despite these changes, Munoz admits to feeling “tired” recently. His production was dropping, before a big two home run day on Sunday against Hickory.
Esposito hesitates to attribute Munoz’s struggles to fatigue.
“Sometimes you just get stuck in a rut,” he said. “He showed signs of getting hot and then he kind of went back to where he was.”
Munoz will go on hot streaks, and yesterday’s double-header might have started one of them. However, unless his commitment to conditioning and recovery improves, these streaks are unlikely to turn into prolonged success.
Munoz could take some notes from his cohort Daniel Arribas, whose training program ramped up over the off-season. He went to three training camps in Bradenton and worked with the strength and conditioning staff to develop a routine.
“I never really liked working out before,” said Arribas. “After New Year’s, I took that over to my routine at home, and I did what I thought I needed most.”
Since signing in 2011, Arribas has put on 30 pounds of muscle, which has translated to a boost in power. He leads all active Power players with eight home runs. Unfortunately, that power has also led to a high strikeout rate. Only Casey Hughston has whiffed more often than Arribas, and while Hughston tends to freeze up at the plate and strike out looking, Arribas does down swinging wildly at bad pitches.
That over-aggression has been noted by Esposito.
“I think he’s at his best when his effort level is back down a tick,” said the Power manager. “He’s a strong kid. He’s able to hit the ball out of the yard. He’s got that natural loft when the ball comes off.”
Unlike Arribas, Munoz has an uncanny ability to work the strike zone. He has the lowest strikeout rate among regular Power starters. In 343 plate appearances, Munoz has struck out a mere 33 times compared to Arribas’ 63 times in 340 plate appearances. Arribas is showing improvements this month, with a strikeout in about 20% of his plate appearances. He still needs to improve, or continue what he’s doing this month, in order to be rid of the issues.
Defensive Development
Just as Arribas and Munoz are two halves of one whole on the offensive side, their defensive approach over their five years together has run in parallel. Munoz, a big lefty, seems a natural fit for the position, while Arribas has spent time at third, outfield, and catcher.
Though Munoz has had 50 more chances at first than Arribas, Arribas holds the advantage. He has more mobility and a steadier glove. Still, the teammates don’t see each other as competition. They recognize the mutual benefits of their tandem development.
“We try to elevate each other’s game every day,” Arribas said. “Why? Because we’ve been playing together since 2012. We won a championship together, and he’s a great baseball player.”
Munoz echoed those comments: “It’s been great working with him, especially since we’ve played together for five years. We were in the Dominican and then the Black Bears so it’s really cool still playing with guys you played with five years ago.”
At this point, it seems that the five-year development has benefited Arribas the most. He leads the team in on-base percentage (.384) despite the high strikeout rate, and his burgeoning power will be a great asset if it sticks. His versatility and ability to play anywhere will also help him get to Double-A at least, regardless of what his bat does between now and then. Munoz, on the other hand, might not make it much further than West Virginia if he doesn’t get in better shape and start hitting more consistently.
