Revs catcher Tejeda opens eyes as Mr. Versatility

Isaias Tejeda disappears. He is in the cage during batting practice, bat in hand. Once his swing opens up, his bat launches line drives across the field. He continues to swing, when, Poof!, he is gone.

Oh, that must be him at shortstop. Looking slightly out of place with his stocky build, he has grabbed a glove. It's time to practice fielding groundballs. He keeps snatching balls out of the dirt and pivoting to throw to first, until, Poof!, he is gone.

He reappears in the outfield, working under fly balls, looking like just another player for the York Revolution. Then, Poof!, he is gone.

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About an hour later, he can be found in the bullpen warming up a starter before taking the field as the Revolution's catcher.

Tejeda, 24, has been anything but ordinary. From his versatility, to his young age in the veteran league, to his batting exploits, he has grabbed the attention of those around him.

"Probably the biggest surprise so far has been Tejeda," York Revolution manager Mark Mason said in late May. "I knew coming in that he could swing the bat, but his versatility in the field I thought has been the most surprising thing to me. He's played the infield, he's played both corners in the outfield, he's played catcher."

And he's swung the bat like few others in the Atlantic League, helping lead the Revs to a 20-14 record entering this weekend as the team is tied atop the Freedom Division standings.

Despite jumping around the field, including playing the most physically demanding position by catching, he ranked second in the league in hitting through Thursday. Batting .349 through the first 22 games, he also ranks fourth in the league with a .406 on-base percentage. All this despite never advancing above High-A in the New York Yankees system.

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Growing up in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tejeda knew the path set forth before him. His father, Luis, bought him his first baseball uniform when he was 3 years old. He would sit in the stands next to his father to watch Dominican Winter League, which still attracts some of the best players in the world. And even at a young age realized he would turn professional.

"If you don't go to school, you have to play baseball — that's for real," Tejeda said.

A third base prospect, he signed with the Yankees as a teenager, and New York converted him into a catcher. Each year he bounced around the field, but primarily remained a catcher.

He had a rotten start to 2016, when the Yankees released Tejeda in January before he even reported to spring training.

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"They surprised me because I thought I had a good year," Tejeda said. "They called me, and told me. It's like, 'OK, let's keep working.'"

Tejeda had no connection to York, but like many Dominican-born players he found the phone number of Revolution hitting coach Enohel Polanco.

In a way, his home country helped him stay in the game.

"I talked to Polo and a couple other guys," Tejeda said. "Every player in the Dominican has a good line of communication. That's how I found him."

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One of three catchers on the Revs early-season roster, Tejeda didn't appear to be one of those difference-makers on the preseason roster. The Atlantic League, with Triple-A and major league veterans, has a tendency to eat up younger players. Unshaken, Tejeda not only has succeeded but has started to do things he has never done before. He's even played catcher while batting leadoff.

"That's new to me," Tejeda said. "I'm always hitting fourth or fifth, sixth or third. Never the leadoff hitter, that's a new experience. But I like it, I could see a lot of fastballs early in the game."

And back home, his father has found a way to follow him online.

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"He found it, I didn't know where it was, and I don't know how but he found it," Tejeda said laughing. "He follows every game. I'll go to the clubhouse now and wait for his text."

It's been a simple transition for a player who's never played outside a major league organization before this season: "I put my faith in God and what I know how to do, that's play baseball."

And if he keeps swinging the bat, don't be surprised if, Poof!, Tejeda is gone. Off to another major league organization before the end of the season.