There are no guarantees for the life of a minor league baseball player. Concord native Ben Bengtson is learning that first-hand.
“Pro ball is very cutthroat,” said Bengtson, a 23rd round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in last year’s MLB Draft. “I’ve seen guys retire already that were in my draft class. I’ve seen guys get released that were in the draft class before me. So no matter what impression you make, you also have to produce at a high level as well for them to keep you around.”
It’s a reality thousands of minor leaguers are faced with on a day-to-day basis: At any moment, dreams can be dashed, lifelong aspirations can come crumbling down and the path to baseball’s biggest stage can suddenly become much less clear.
“Those questions filter around our heads all the time. For me, it’s battle of I’m just going to play as long as I can and give it everything I have,” Bengtson said. “I’m not a guy that was top 10 round pick or a top prospect and all that stuff. … I’m just hoping to finish the year strong, go back to spring training early like I did last time, show improvements and try to be a guy they can rely on for next year.”
The 23-year-old infielder and former Concord High School standout is currently in his first full season with the Pirates organization after being selected No. 688 overall in June 2017 out of the University of Hartford.
Bengtson began the year on the bench with the Single-A West Virginia Power, but has carved out a role for himself as an everyday player as the South Atlantic League season winds down.
“From a parents’ perspective, obviously we’re incredibly proud of his drive, his passion and just the stick-to-itiveness it takes to even get to that point,” said Ben’s father, Steve Bengtson. “Aside from pride, it’s just incredibly exciting to see what he’s been able to do.”
There were plenty of nerves to go around in the family when Ben arrived in Charleston, W.Va., to begin the season. He wasn’t a highly-touted prospect, didn’t exactly know what to expect in first full professional season and there were no promises of what his role would be.
“I think I worry more than he does about the toll it takes on him,” the elder Bengtson said. “He just has a very mature attitude about the whole deal. He knows there’s no guarantees in anything. He knows he could be sent back down, moved to somebody else or even let go.”
Despite an uneven start to the season, Bengtson never wavered. He played sporadically through April and May, appearing in just 24 games, but began to receive regular playing time on June 5.
That’s when things started to click.
In 99 plate appearances in June, Bengtson posted a .244 average with six doubles, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored while rattling off a 15-game hitting streak from May 29-June 14.
As the playing time remained consistent, so did Bengtson’s production. In July, he appeared in 19 games, hit .265 and again drove in 10 runs thanks to eight extra-base hits (six doubles, two home runs). He landed on the disabled list for a brief stint on July 25, but returned to the lineup on Aug. 4.
“It’s all about reps, comfortability and your mental attitude throughout,” Bengtson said. “When I got on that hot streak, or was just playing more consistent, it was just from playing every day and getting comfortable.”
Even during his bench role, Bengtson still managed to take away a valuable lesson.
“I have to be ready for the next day no matter what,” he said. “I tried to learn from being a bench player and always being ready. So when I got my chance, I took it.”
Adjusting to the level of talent in Single-A was also a learning process for Bengtson.
The infatuation with velocity in modern-day baseball has more players in the minors throwing harder than ever before. The difference between a 94 mph fastball and a 99 mph heater might not seem like a lot to the casual fan, but it’s a different animal when you’re the one in the batter’s box.
“There’s definitely a difference,” Bengtson said. “There’s more zip and it’s kind of like ‘Wow.’ So you really have to adjust your approach and shorten up a little bit and try to shoot the gap the other way. When you try to get big on those guys throwing hard, it can expose you.”
Defensively, Bengtson has proven to be a versatile piece for West Virginia. Entering Friday, he had started 45 games for the Power at third base, 13 games at first base, 15 games as the designated hitter, one game in the outfield and he even pitched an inning of relief.
“The more versatile I can be, the greater chance I have of staying in the organization and moving up,” Bengtson said.
After Friday, West Virginia has 22 games remaining in its regular-season schedule. Bengtson hopes to continue to impress the Pirates’ front office before returning home to the Granite State in the fall.
Bengtson knows there are no guarantees in this career and he isn’t looking for any.
“I’ve made myself known with upper management so in that regard I feel like they know who I am and what kind of guy I am,” he said. “But at the end of the day it’s a business. I can only do so much on that side and I just have to produce as much as I can.”
(Jay McAree can be reached at 369-3371, jmcaree@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @JayMcAree.)