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Eric Young Jr. has played in the majors for at least some part of each of the past eight seasons. While he's starting this season off in Salt Lake City as a member of the Bees, the potential of making a return to the big leagues certainly played a part in his decision to join the Los Angeles Angels organization this winter.
Young, who looks like he should be catching passes out of an NFL backfield with a muscular build on his 5-foot-10 frame, is the son of a former second baseman/outfielder with the same name who played 1,730 games for seven teams in the majors from 1992 through 2006. Young will likely bat near the top of, if not atop, the Bees' lineup Tuesday when the Salt Lake plays its home opener against the Sacramento River Cats at Smith's Ballpark (6:30 p.m.).
"I know last year one of their biggest issues was the injury bug," Young said of the Angels. "A lot of guys were going down, and they just weren't able to plug those holes in order to keep the season going smoothly. One thing they really did this year was get a lot of depth, bring guys over so that — if not opening day — at any point of the season they're ready to help the ballclub win."
Players with previous big-league experience can be found up and down the Bees roster — they have collectively more than 2,500 big-league games — but Young has enjoyed the most individual success in "The Show." He has played in 563 major league games over eight seasons, including six last season with the New York Yankees after spending most of the season with the Colorado Rockies Triple-A affiliate and Pacific Coast League member Colorado Springs.
In 2013, Young played 148 games between stints with both the Rockies and the New York Mets, and he won the Lou Brock Award for having led the National League in stolen bases (46). Having played both second base and outfield during the early years of his career, he recorded 25 stolen bases or more four times in the majors.
A career .246 hitter in the majors and .288 hitter in the minors (going into Monday), speed remains a key part of his game even as he'll turn 32 in May. Last season, he stole 23 bases in 116 games with Colorado Springs. He stole his first base of this season and scored the Bees' first run in Monday's extra-inning loss in Albuquerque.
The Angels traded for outfielder Cameron Maybin and signed free-agent outfielder Ben Revere this offseason. Those additions along with the presence of American League MVP Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun present roadblocks in Young's path back to the majors, but Young seems determined not to let anything interfere with his daily approach and preparation.
"You put things in perspective," Young said. "I guess it's easy to have a bad attitude, but I'm thankful that I get to play baseball. I've been doing this since I'm seven years old. As long as I can continue to do this, I'm not going to complain about the things that I can't control. Whatever team, whatever level the organization decides to have me on, that's out of my control. The things I can control is how I show up, how I prepare myself, how I get ready each day for a game. Whatever level that is, I'm going to do that."
Bees manager Keith Johnson hopes Young can serve as a table-setter for the lineup and also a leader in terms of how the players will handle their business while waiting for a door to open to the majors.
"It's a guy that has done all that, and he's here and the elements aren't fazing him," Johnson said of Young. "It's not like his body is here and his mind is somewhere else. It's like, 'Okay. This is where I'm at. This is where I'm going to play the game as best I can. If they decide to call me up there where I know I believe I belong, so be it, but I'm not going to take any of that for granted.' "
Twitter: @LWorthySports —
About Eric Young Jr.
Age • 31
Height • 5-foot-10
Weight • 195 pounds
Birthplace • New Brunswick, N.J.
Bats/Throws: S/R
MLB debut • Aug. 25, 2009
How acquired • Signed as free agent by Los Angeles Angles to minor-league contract on Jan. 24, 2017 (Assigned to Salt Lake Bees on Feb. 2).
Career highlights/honors • Lou Brock Award (2013), Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year (2009), Pacific Coast League Mid-Season All-Star (2009), Pacific Coast League Postseason All-Star (2009), MLB All-Futures Game (2009), Texas League Postseason All-Star (2008), Arizona Fall League All-Prospect Team (2008), California League Postseason All-Star (2007), South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star (2006).
Major League experience • Colorado Rockies (2009-2013), New York Mets (2013-2014), Atlanta Braves (2015), New York Mets (2015)*, New York Yankees (2016).
* The Mets reacquired Young via trade in 2015 after he signed a minor-league deal with Atlanta.
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River Cats at Bees
Home opener
Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Radio • 1280 AM