GLENDALE, Ariz. - Owen Carey keeps coming back to the same word.
Jumpy.
It’s how he describes himself, and it’s also the thing he’s learned to control. For the Braves’ No. 21 prospect, that balance has been a big part of the journey, dating back to his days as a standout in both baseball and hockey in Londonderry, New Hampshire.
“I'm very high-energy, high-twitch,” he said. “I just like to always go.
I think that's one of my things I try to work on. When I'm toning myself down a little bit, that's when I'm at my best, not when I'm at 100.
But I'm so used to being at 100. I don't know if that comes from hockey, but I'm always used to being high-intent, and I actually tone it back when I'm in the box.”
That approach has started to pay off in the Arizona Fall League. Carey followed a 2-for-4 day with a double and a walk in Glendale’s 13-10 loss to Peoria on Thursday at Camelback Ranch by extending his hitting streak to six games.
He has multiple hits in four of his last five games, going 10-for-23 (.435) with two triples, a double and seven walks during that stretch. Before that, he was just 3-for-16 (.188) over his first six games.
The difference has been easy to see in his swing decisions. In those first six games, Carey offered at 56 percent of the pitches he saw. Over his last six, that number has dropped to 46 percent as he’s stayed more controlled and more selective.
That same lesson has shaped his age-19 season.
Carey opened the year with 12 games at High-A Rome in his second full campaign, then had to deal with an infection in his right heel that required a procedure to clear it out. He didn’t get back into the Emperors lineup until June 9, though he did log a few rehab appearances in the Florida Complex League before that. When he returned to the South Atlantic League, the start was rough: 6-for-39 (.154) with 11 strikeouts in his first 10 games.
“I thought I was myself the day after surgery, but obviously that's just me,” Carey said. “They did a good job taking care of me down there.
It took me I would say probably the week after I came back. I had a rough week.
Again, jumpy. The coordinator comes down, settles me down, talks to me, [says] it's all right.
That changed my whole trajectory.”
Once he settled in, the production followed. Carey hit .314/.396/.568 with six home runs over his next 31 games for Rome, then moved up to Double-A Columbus on Aug. 4, about two weeks after his 20th birthday.
His time in the Southern League was more difficult, as he posted a .211/.296/.323 line in 35 games while swinging at 57 percent of the pitches he saw. That’s part of why the Fall League has mattered: more at-bats, more reps, and a chance to finish stronger after the heel issue interrupted his season.
So far in Glendale, he’s done exactly that, hitting .333/.469/.462 in 12 games.
Carey’s path also fits neatly with the Braves’ broader farm system. Fifteen of Atlanta’s Top 30 prospects, including six of the top eight, were high school Draft picks. Those players usually need more time, but the upside is obvious if the organization stays patient.
For Carey, the decision to turn pro was never really in doubt.
“There was really no conversation for me,” he said. “I didn't have an agent.
I didn't know about how much money you could make, and if they offered me -- even if they didn't offer me any money -- I was going to go. I just wanted to get here, get my foot in the door and start working.”
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