JUPITER, Fla. -- It was literally a year of two seasons for JJ Bleday in 2021.
The 2019 fourth overall pick, by his own admission, didn¡¯t live up to the impressive standards he set at Vanderbilt in his first full Minor League campaign. The left-handed slugger hit just .212/.323/.373 with 12 homers over 110 games at Double-A Pensacola in his age-23 campaign. The dinger total alone was 15 fewer than he crushed in his standout junior year with the Commodores, despite having played 39 more games.
Searching for a brighter note on which to end the season, Bleday headed to the Arizona Fall League, where he accomplished that goal as co-Hitter of the Year and Fall Stars Game MVP. He finished with a .316/.435/.600 line and five homers in 24 games.
Sam Dykstra: Take me through your offseason. You said before this interview that you¡¯ve been here [in Jupiter] since January.
Bleday: I had a long year [in 2021]. I had a regular season and spent the whole year in Pensacola. I told the Marlins, hey, I'd like to get some more at-bats here whether it's in the DR or the Fall League. I was able to go to the Fall League, and that got done pretty late, around the week before Thanksgiving. I did some traveling and stayed home in Panama City Beach for the month of December. I trained there and got down here after the New Year ASAP, just to get back into it and make sure I was ready to go for another full year.
Dykstra: One of the things a lot of people noticed when you got here was that you had bulked up some. Why was that such a priority for you this offseason?
Bleday: I started adding weight probably toward the end of the regular season. I noticed my recovery was better. I just felt good. I just felt better in the box. I felt grounded, felt a little more muscular. I feel like that's my natural body playing weight, and that's how it was in college. I¡¯m like, you know what, I might as well try to get back to that because I felt pretty good.
Dykstra: So you were building weight as the season wore on? How did that work?
Bleday: A lot of it was just eating food, eating calories, getting a lot of protein, making sure I'm getting the right carbs, cutting down on some sugar. The other thing is mixing up my weight training. I'd go anywhere from two to three times a week, and I would go higher reps with more medium weight, rather than crushing myself with three sets of six to eight. I was bumping them to three sets of eight to 12. I feel like I got better results that way.
Dykstra: How do you feel physically now compared to where you were in Spring Training a year ago then?
Bleday: Head and shoulders above last year. Right now it's just maintaining that and keeping it going.
Dykstra: Obviously, the results last year at Pensacola weren¡¯t exactly where you wanted them to be.
Bleday: That was physical stuff. That was some mental stuff. It feels good to get back and trust in my swing.
Dykstra: Your first full season was delayed by a year too. How much did the canceled 2020 season affect you?
Bleday: Thankfully, I was still able to come here to the facility in 2020 and get some live at-bats. But it wasn't like I was really playing, you know. I was just kind of showing up here, getting my at-bats and leaving. When you're facing the same guys every day, it gets a little monotonous. I'm sure that had something to do with it. But that's in the past now. Got to worry about this year.
Dykstra: So all in all, how are you a different hitter now in terms of approach and setup, compared to a year ago?
Bleday: I think my approach is refined. It's gotten more consistent with certain guys, whether it's a righty or lefty. I'm just able to get more prepared on a day-to-day basis because I have a good routine to get my swing ready. Now I'm just trusting myself and staying on the inside of the baseball, rather than trying to do too much like I was last year. I feel like I was trying to do too much, trying to be the guy, trying to hit home runs. It's just getting back to the basics.
Dykstra: How much of the pressure you were putting on yourself was because of your status as a first-rounder?
Bleday: It wasn't really because of that. I think it was because I thought I had something to prove, regardless of my status. You have high expectations for yourself, and when you put more expectations on that and put more pressure, you take away from getting involved in the game and that's not what you want.
Dykstra: Was there a moment last year where you started to feel yourself again?
Bleday: Yeah, I'd say it was probably toward later in the season. I felt something good mechanically. I felt how I was moving through space, and I [thought] I'm just going to keep running with it and not change.
Dykstra: Do you feel like you beat your own expectations in the AFL?
Bleday: I think I did. I was going in, and I was ready to just play. I think that gave me some good mental clarity. I got back involved in the game, and it was just a fun atmosphere to be in. I really enjoyed that.
Dykstra: On the defensive side, you moved around quite a bit last year. Where is your focus this spring on that side?
Bleday: Same thing. Just get reps at every position. I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going to be at. I have a feeling it¡¯s going to be similar to last year with starting in right, center and left -- just mixing it up, getting everyone some reps. I really have no preference. I could care less where I play in the outfield. It¡¯s just making sure I¡¯m getting reps in each position because you never know.
Dykstra: Is there anywhere you feel most comfortable though?
Bleday: Definitely right field because I¡¯ve had so much time there. As of now, it really doesn¡¯t matter. But comfortability, it¡¯s right.
Dykstra: How do you approach the spring in terms of trying to push for Triple-A or maybe even the Majors, since you¡¯re in camp here?
Bleday: I think the goal right now is just to win each day and not get too far ahead of myself. Come ready to compete every single day. Trust your work. Trust your process. You're going to have good days. You're going to have bad days. But if you're showing up with your A-game, you can live with that.
Dykstra: As a Marlin in this system, this is a place where young guys have opportunities to play if you push for them. Is that something you prospects talk about on the Minor League side?
Bleday: Not really. That was more of a Spring Training thing. On the big league [side], they would hone in on it. Guys can play. Who¡¯s bringing it every day, and who¡¯s going to bring it the most consistently during the week? That¡¯s been the hone-in. Don¡¯t be surprised if you get an opportunity.
Dykstra: Is that something Don Mattingly is telling you since you said it¡¯s on the MLB side?
Bleday: I think Kim [Ng] mentioned it during our Minor League Spring Training. It¡¯s our career. Take advantage of it. Don¡¯t be messing around because there is opportunity. I forget what Donnie was saying the other day, but it was something along the lines of that. There¡¯s opportunity everywhere. Be ready to go.
Dykstra: I know comps are difficult because they can set unrealistic expectations. But when you look at who you could be or who you want to be in the Major Leagues, who would you say that would be.
Bleday: Whoo, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve played the comp game for a while. I stopped buying into that. But I'll tell you players I loved watching. Ken Griffey Jr. Love watching. Mike Trout. Loved watching Derek Jeter. Loved watching Barry Bonds. Those guys have tremendous belief in themselves, and I think that's what separates them from a lot of the other guys. They bring it every day. They're not super flashy here and there. They¡¯re ready to get to work and ready to win.
Dykstra: You mentioned Jeter, who¡¯s no longer part of this organization but he was for the start of your career. Did you guys talk, and what kind of conversations did you guys have?
Bleday: When I first signed in 2019, I just had like a normal conversation with him. It was a long conversation during a Marlins game. We were up in his box. It was anything from what to do, what not to do. Who was the toughest pitcher you faced? Who was your favorite teammate? Blah, blah, blah, just things like that because I wanted to get to know the guy. I¡¯ve just seen him from that perspective on the field. So it was cool to understand that he's a normal human being and was an owner at the time. It was just cool to see that and pick his brain.
Dykstra: To round it out, you are in Major League camp. Given the improvements you showed last year, how close to the Majors do you feel?
Bleday: I feel pretty close. I don't want to set any dates or any goals like that, but I feel like I'm in a good position right now. I just have to keep doing what I'm doing.