by Liz Rudolph / A’s Farm Beloit Correspondent
After slashing .393/.562/.803 in his senior year at Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie, Oregon, the A’s made shortstop Trace Loehr their 6th-round draft pick in 2014. He joined the Arizona League A’s for the 2014 campaign and went on to spend the 2015 season with the Vermont Lake Monsters.
Loehr then made his debut with the Beloit Snappers at the start of the 2016 season. He spent that season as the Snappers’ starting shortstop, while he served as Beloit’s third baseman in 2017. Now, as he makes his way through his third season in the Midwest League, the 23-year-old has been serving as the Snappers’ starting second baseman in 2018.
Loehr is currently in the midst of his best season yet, and his performance this year earned him a trip to the Midwest League All-Star Game this week. At the time of the All-Star break, he had compiled a slash line of .296/.367/.398 while leading the team with 15 stolen bases. He also notched his 17th triple as a Snapper last month, setting a new franchise record. We took the opportunity to catch up with Trace last weekend, just days before his appearance in the Midwest League All-Star Game.
AF: First of all, congratulations on your selection to the Midwest League All-Star team. Is this your first time?
TL: Yes, this is my first time making it.
AF: Can you talk about what finding out you were an All Star was like?
TL: It was awesome. I’ve never made an All-Star team. I had a pretty good idea that I was going to make it, just with the numbers that I was putting up. It was actually the team that congratulated me at first. They said, “Congratulations!” And I was like, “What are you talking about?” “You made the All-Star team.” “Oh, alright. That’s awesome!” Now I’m just excited about Tuesday.
AF: That’s fantastic. As the selection has shown, your season has been great. As you mentioned, you’re putting up great numbers. Talk about some of the adjustments you’ve made this season at the plate, because obviously some of them are paying off.
TL: The first couple years of my career definitely were a little tough. I really wanted to make sure this season was all about consistency and what was going to make me consistent and be able to put up numbers that were respectable. I didn’t want to get down on myself. I really wanted to take the three and a half years as kind of college years. They definitely didn’t start out how I wanted to. They definitely wanted me to progress quicker. I feel like right now I’m in a good spot to get my career going. It was really just all about consistency for me.
AF: Besides being selected to the All-Star team, have there been any highlights for you specifically? I know you’ve had a couple of career-high games, a four-RBI night recently in Peoria, and you set a record for triples as well. What are some of the highlights, the standout moments for you, so far this season in Beloit?
TL: Definitely the triples record. Obviously, you don’t want to be in Low-A for three years but, I mean, since I was, it’s always nice to be in Snappers history. Getting that 17th triple was kind of a big thing for me. So, I really enjoyed it.
AF: We talked to [Snappers manager Webster Garrison] a few weeks ago, and we talked about how this team as a whole can be productive offensively from any point in the lineup. And obviously, that puts you in a good position where you’re hitting with men on potentially. But does production around you help you as a hitter?
TL: Yes, for sure. If you’re going up to the plate all the time with two outs and nobody on base, it kind of defeats the purpose of being able to have team at-bats. So, it’s nice having a collective group that can get on base and can also perform and put up numbers as well, because you’re not just the only one trying to do stuff. You can kind of relax and just let the team produce with you.
AF: We talked about your hitting, but I wanted to ask you a little about your play defensively. You’ve been all over the infield, between second, third and short, since your time in Vermont. Is there a position you prefer? Do you feel more comfortable at one versus another?
TL: Right now is really my first time playing second base, and I like it a lot. It’s a lot easier than short and third. All you’ve got to do is just catch it and throw it over there. But I think I’m taking up second base pretty well right now.
AF: Before we let you go…obviously, this has been a great season for you so far. What are your goals for the rest of the year?
TL: Goal for the rest of the season is just, no matter where I am, if I get called up or if I stay here, is just to continue the same approach and the same process, and not getting too high or getting too low, and continuously having the success that I’m having.
* * *
Listen to the extended audio version of Liz Rudolph’s interview with Trace Loehr here…
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm. You can also get our exclusive A’s minor league newsletter e-mailed to you free by signing up here.