Starting from scratch, Marlins education program a key new component in player development

A few hundred feet from the practice fields at the team’s Jupiter headquarters, seven Miami Marlins prospects huddle around a laptop screen, intently focused on big-league pitcher Pablo López.

They’re not studying his throwing mechanics or charting his pitches; instead they’re watching the Venezuelan-born rookie speak to reporters as a pair of instructors offer live feedback to the players, ranging from the pitcher’s posture to his enunciation.

It’s a snapshot into the Marlins’ new education program, an initiative by CEO Derek Jeter to help minor-league prospects develop language and off-the-field skills necessary to thrive on the professional stage.

Spearheaded by Emily Glass, the program is a critical element of the team’s player development plan, which has been overhauled under the new ownership regime. Prior to Glass — who splits her time between Jupiter and the Dominican Republic — there were no teachers, computer labs or textbooks. That’s all changed in a very short time.

Glass is a baseball lifer. Growing up in “the shadows of Oakland-Alameda Coliseum,” she developed an affinity for the sport at a young age, frequently accompanying her dad, an Athletics’ season ticket holder, to games. She initially opted for baseball over softball, choosing to play on her high school’s junior varsity team before switching to softball her junior season. After playing Division II softball at Pomona College, Glass’s baseball journey took her around the world.

She landed a research grant, allowing her to travel for a year, studying international baseball scouting and education outside the United States. Focusing on Japan, Australia, the Dominican Republic and Curaçao, she simultaneously worked for Major League Baseball, helping evaluate educational programs in the DR.

“That showed me how badly I wanted to build a program for a team,” said Glass, who also played in men’s leagues in Australia and Curaçao during that time.

Traveling around the Caribbean, she discovered there was a significant gap between the on- and off-field skills that aspiring baseball players were receiving.

“There was a lot of neglect and not a lot of clarity of how to prepare players for success and what tools to try and give them,” Glass said.

“It’s hard given the international market, because sometimes we sign 16, 17, 18 year olds who are ready to come to the U.S., and they’ve only been trained in baseball. But what about all the other intracultural life skills and language they’ll need to land here and have success?”

Birth of a program

In April, the 26 year old was given an opportunity to answer that question after being approached by Gary Denbo, the Marlins new vice president for player development and scouting. Seeking mentorship from Pirates education coordinator Mayu Fielding, Glass used Pittsburgh’s program — now in its 11th year — as a template to build her curriculum.

Players throughout the team’s affiliates meet two to three times a week with sessions capped at 12 players. Mindful of keeping young players engaged and not making classes feel like a chore, the lessons last no more than an hour and are accompanied by interactive elements — whether it be athletes conducting mock interviews or learning from video clips. The Marlins have two instructors in Jupiter and plan to hire more teachers at the rest of their minor-league affiliates. The team has also added computer labs in its training facilities in Jupiter and the Dominican Republic.

Last season, 98 international players and 32 from the U.S. and Canada were enrolled in the program. Glass estimates a combined total of 150 will take part next season.

Part of the goal is for the classes to transcend specific language skills, helping players develop a trust and comfort with coaches that can pay dividends in their on-field growth.

“We’re teaching players … how to be able to ask for help,” Glass said. “ ‘How do I seek help? How do I develop a relationship with my hitting coach where I trust him?’ Trust is inherent to what we’re doing. Learners can’t learn until they trust their own abilities and trust the abilities of our teachers.

“A lot of our players have been out of school for a long time and at first it’s a very scary environment for them, so we are trying to teach them those pieces.”

Learning a new language

With the growth of the international market, MLB has received an influx of players for whom English isn’t their primary language.

Of the 276 players in the Marlins system, 42 percent (115) are international. The Dominican Republic represents the franchise’s biggest feeder with 62 players, while Venezuela (25), Panama (8), Cuba (5) and Puerto Rico (5) are each large contributors. Colombia, Mexico, Bahamas, Taiwan and Canada are also among the countries that have sent players to the organization.

For many athletes, that means learning a new language — on top of rigorous baseball training in an ultra-competitive environment. In a game where team bonding and camaraderie play key roles, the language barrier can often be an isolating obstacle.

“I know the reality they come from,” said Pamela Mejía-Rodriguez, who was born in the Dominican Republic and serves as one of the program’s teachers. “I know the struggle of being an immigrant and the struggle of not knowing the language or not feeling comfortable about the language and at the same time having to perform at something.

“I don’t play, but I have to perform at my job. It can be challenging. It can be demanding, but I want them to see it can be done.”

Miami is hoping to bridge that gap with its increased focus on communication skills. A fluent Spanish speaker, Glass uses incentives to illustrate how they can benefit from learning English. In addition to bridging the gap with teammates, she cites examples of international players using English to help build their social brand and land endorsement deals.

Like many classes, there is occasional homework — albeit with an entertaining twist. To help their English, players will be assigned Netflix shows and watch, using subtitles. “Friends” and “Narcos” are two of the favorites among Marlins players.

“Learning a language and playing baseball are all about gaining some comfort with failure,” Glass said. “If you’re going to learn a language you have to be willing to make mistakes and embarrass yourself. It’s all about walking back up to bat even after making grammatical mistakes or even after striking out on three pitches.”

Jorge Guzman, a flame-throwing pitcher from the Dominican Republic, has seen significant growth during his time with the organization. The 22-year-old, who was acquired from the New York Yankees in the Giancarlo Stanton trade, is taking classes three times a week after playing for the team’s High-A affiliate last year.

Although he’s not fully fluent yet, the right-hander has become more comfortable speaking English in certain situations.

“I want to learn because when I go to the big leagues, I want to talk in English,” said Guzman, the Marlins sixth-best overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline. “I want to communicate with my coaches, manager and friends.”

English-speaking players learning Spanish

Earlier this summer, Jeter made headlines when he expressed his desire for Marlins players and personnel to learn Spanish.

“Everybody expects the Latin players to make an effort to speak English,” Jeter said in an ESPN profile. “Well, especially here in Miami, if you don’t speak Spanish, you don’t fit in. I think it’s important.”

Classes for minor-league prospects began last season in rookie league and expanded throughout their affiliates. Under the current MLB collective bargaining agreement, players on the 40-man roster cannot be mandated to take education classes; however, Glass said reaction from the big-league players has been positive.

Starting the entire program from scratch, she wants to start small and then build upward. She equates the Marlins’ philosophy to growing a tree — focus attention at the roots and expand from there.

While Spanish classes are optional in the offseason, some major league players — such as former Marlin Derek Dietrich — immediately bought in to the idea. The outfielder was driving to Jupiter three times a week for Spanish lessons before being designated for assignment by the team last week.

“When [the Marlins] said we were going to do that, I didn’t think it was going to be well received,” said Colleen Mitchell, one of the teachers. “ ‘They didn’t have to do this in the past; there’s going to be pushback’ but from Day 1, they were all in.

“A lot of times [players] will stay together with who they’re comfortable with. So the Latinos stay together, the Americans stay together. But you could see it with these classes, they’re sitting on the benches [in instructional league] going, ‘How do you say this in Spanish?’ or ‘How do you say this in English?’ They’re working together and you see the whole point of why we’re doing this coming to life.”

‘They can’t eat Chipotle every day’

While language plays a heavy role in the curriculum, the Marlins are also focused on teaching additional life skills players need to thrive on the professional stage. From learning the intricacies — and dangers — of social media, to financial skills like signing a lease or knowing the difference between credit and debit, the organization is slowly building out the program.

The Marlins also bring in the team’s catering company to come in and teach players how to cook meals on their own.

“They have to learn they can’t eat Chipotle every single day,” Glass said.

While cooking isn’t currently much of an option with most minor leaguers living in hotels, the team is working on a homestay program so players can live with families throughout the South Florida community and adjust to life in the United States. The Marlins are looking for volunteers near the team’s Jupiter affiliate.

Even with the Marlins’ education program still in its infancy, it’s already made an impact on a number of players throughout the system. For 18-year-old shortstop Jose Devers, a Dominican Republic native and the team’s 13th-best overall prospect, the program has provided a home away from home.

“It’s been great,” Devers said. “It’s like a family. They push me more and more every day to do better. We have a lot of fun — we’re pushing each other and learning it in a fun way.”

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