Sean Murphy: Catching Up with the A’s Catcher of the Future

by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor

Oakland’s 3^rd-round pick in the 2016 draft out of Wright State in Ohio, catcher Sean Murphy was already known for his strong defensive work behind the plate as well as his powerful throwing arm when he joined the A’s organization. And despite missing more than a month and a half last season due to a broken hamate bone, Murphy still managed to make some impressive strides in his offensive game during his time with Double-A Midland in 2018.

The right-handed hitter posted a slugging percentage of .498 and an on-base percentage of .358 in 68 games for the RockHounds before making into three games with Triple-A Nashville in September. After last year’s primary receiver, Jonathan Lucroy, chose to sign a free-agent deal with the Angels in the offseason, the A’s didn’t seem all that eager to invest too much in a replacement, presumably because they knew that Murphy was on the way.

The 24-year-old is set to start the 2019 season as the primary backstop at Triple-A Las Vegas. And if all goes well during Murphy’s first extended look at Triple-A, it’s quite possible that he could get the opportunity to take over as the A’s starting catcher by the second half of the season. And with Murphy’s ability to deliver solid production at the plate and his impressive defense behind the dish, the A’s could be fortunate enough to find themselves with a potential All-Star behind the plate for many years to come.

Murphy took the opportunity to show off his offensive abilities by doubling in the tying and winning runs in the bottom on the ninth inning to help the A’s win their Cactus League finale in a walk-off on Wednesday. And we took the opportunity to catch up with the A’s catcher of the future just a day before he delivered the big blow in the team’s finale…

 
AF:  When you spent the last couple of months of the 2017 season at Double-A Midland, you struggled a little bit to get on track at the plate. But when you started the 2018 season back there, you were really hitting up a storm right out of the gate at Midland last year. So, what kind of adjustments did you make to enable you to get on track and have so much success at the plate the second time around there?

SM:  I just became more of an all-around hitter. I just made the adjustments to be able to hit off-speed. As you go up from A-ball to Double-A, it’s a big jump because guys start to have a good feel for their second pitch. In A-ball, you make a bet that a guy can’t throw you three sliders for strikes. But the higher you go, that becomes a factor, and guys can throw their off-speed for strikes – they can do what they want with it. And knowing that prepared me. The big adjustment was just becoming a more complete hitter and adjusting to them as they adjusted to me.

AF:  So, it sounds like you really just made the adjustment to seeing a lot more quality off-speed pitches.

SM:  Yeah, essentially, that’s what it was.

AF:  Now we all know spring training is a time to work on things. So, what have you been working of both offensively and defensively this spring?

SM:  As far as my at-bats, I’m just trying to get up there and see some pitches and really find my identity as a hitter. I’ve been messing around with some stuff this spring – some of it I like and some of it I don’t. And that’s the whole point. You get in there and see some live pitching and you try and figure out what’s working and what’s not and you adjust from there. And that’s the whole point of the spring for everybody. Defensively, it’s just working with pitchers, understanding the guys you’re going to be catching this year and getting on the same page as them and getting a few outings with guys, catching a few bullpens and talking with them. The most important part of your job is making sure you’re on the same page as that pitcher and getting him through outings.

AF:  How much do you enjoy working with pitchers and how important a part of your game is that?

SM:  If you’re on the same page with your pitcher and you’re going well and things are going smoothly and he’s not shaking you off, then it makes the whole game more enjoyable and less of a grind than if you’re up there and you and your pitcher just can’t figure it out and it’s not going well. It makes the game more fun when you’re back there and you’re working well and you’re cruising.

AF:  Has A’s catching instructor Marcus Jensen been able to offer you a lot of helpful advice and information this spring?

SM:  Of course, Marcus is unbelievable. He’s very knowledgeable. He’s another tall catcher. He’s a guy who understands the game’s a little different for taller guys back there. We retooled some of my throwing mechanics, and it’s gone well. Me and Marcus work well together.

AF:  Are there any veteran players in the big league camp who’ve been particularly helpful to you this spring?

SM:  Josh [Phegley] and [Nick] Hundley, obviously, are important. This is my third camp with Josh, and he’s knowledgeable. Nick’s caught a lot of great pitchers and he’s called a lot of games in the big leagues. When we’re on the bench together, he comes up and makes a point to ask me about pitch calling and what did we do in certain situations, and I appreciate that. They don’t have to do that, but they do, and I really appreciate it.

AF:  Since A’s manager Bob Melvin’s a former catcher, has he had many helpful words of advice for you?

SM:  Yeah, of course. He likes to keep things positive. He’s always there if I have a question. If anything’s bothering me, if I’m looking to do something different with my mechanics back there, Bob’s always available.

AF:  Growing up, were there any particular catchers you looked at as role models for you?

SM:  I grew up a big Jason Varitek guy.

AF:  Going back to when you were drafted, scouts have always talked about your power potential. I think you hit eight home runs last year for Midland. Do you feel like there’s still more untapped power in your bat?

SM:  You know, the eight home runs is not a huge number, but I had a ton of doubles [26]. And playing in that park in Midland, I wouldn’t be surprised if I got robbed of another half-dozen home runs there – and then it’s a different conversation. I’m not too concerned about that. I’m a strong guy, and when I hit the ball, it’s going to go, and I’m not really concerned about home run output per se.

AF:  It sounds like you’re just more focused on putting a good swing on the ball and seeing the results.

SM:  Yeah, at the end of the day, Midland played a factor. If you hit a ball well in right field, you weren’t going to hit a home run – you were going to fly out. And there were probably half a dozen balls I hit really well to right field, and the right fielder took three steps back and that 30 mph wind knocked it back. But you can’t dwell on that. At the end of the day, you look back and say, “I put three good swings on the ball today.” And you go home happy.

AF:  Well, you’re certainly not the only guy to have that experience hitting in Midland!

SM:  Of course not. Power numbers are hard to put up there in the Texas League, especially in that division. You’re playing more than half your games in graveyards. So, you can’t take too much stock in that stuff.

AF:  A lot of people look at both you and Jesus Luzardo as guys who could be a big part of the A’s future. You had a chance to catch him a lot last year at Midland, so you probably know him just about as well as anyone. So, what are your impressions of Luzardo as a pitcher?

SM:  He’s special. There aren’t many guys who can do the kind of stuff he does with the natural velocity he has. For a kid his age [21], he’s very advanced. He wants to go up there and mix pitches. He doesn’t want to just go up there and blow the doors off, which he has the ability to do, but he understands that’s not going to develop him. He’s got to understand mixing and sequencing, and he’s willing to do that, and he understands that’s what he has to do to become successful at the big league level. And that’s the whole goal for him. He sees the big picture very well on top of having great stuff.

AF:  Things were going really well for you in Double-A last year, and then you had to miss about a month and a half when you had to have hamate bone surgery. It must have been disappointing to have to miss that time on the field, especially when things seemed to be going so well for you.

SM:  It’s obviously a bummer when you get hurt. But once I had the surgery and rehab started going really well and I was feeling good, I didn’t really think of it as a setback – more of a speed bump. It’s just one of those things that happens that you can’t really control. A bad break but, at the end of the day, I don’t think it’ll affect me going into the future.

AF:  After you came back at the end of the year, you did get to make it into a few games at Triple-A, where you’re likely to see a little more time this year. How did the Triple-A pitching you saw compare to the kind of pitchers you were used to seeing at Double-A?

SM:  It was just a good experience to get up there. It’s good to keep moving up and seeing new arms. Once you get to Triple-A, you start seeing some former and future big leaguers. The level is another big jump again. And that’s the whole point of the farm system. You’ve just got to keep making jumps and adapting as you go. And I’ll have to adapt to that again this year.

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