An Interview with Atlanta Braves Prospects Mike Soroka and Kolby Allard

Now it is early in the season, with just a few starts under your belt. The average age in the Southern league’s 24. I mean you guys are 19, you are pretty below that. I will go with you, Mike, have you all prepared any differently?

MS: Not really. I think I am in a little bit different of a place mentally to start the year than I was last year. Last year was kind of going into it. First full season did not know what was going on as opposed to coming in this year and being ready and knowing what I have to do to be ready every five days.

I think just being in a good place with all my pitches and attacking every single pitch, I think that is all it comes down too. There’s not anything you kind of need to worry about extra just because you are in Double-A.

You get your routine. You get what works for you, and you keep executing every day.

There’s not anything you kind of need to worry about extra just because you are in Double-A. You get your routine. You get what works for you, and you keep executing every day.

Have you all noticed anything differently with the hitting that’s going on? Double-A is a little bit different in the sense of approaches. Most of the players here have been developing.

KA: Yes, I mean I would say the biggest difference is that if you miss a pitch, they are going to capitalize on it more often than not and again, in A-ball or whatever if you make a mistake sometimes they will still miss it.

I would say the margin for error here is the biggest difference. It is a lot smaller than it was last year.

MS: You do not see guys taking aimless swings on hitter’s counts, on 2-0, 3-1 counts. You see them swinging at their pitch, and they are not taking a bad swing. There’s a lot more swing with intent.

They take the swing, and they meant to hit it because they are looking for that pitch. Sometimes they will throw a slider, and he is going to swing over it, but he is going to swing over hard because he thought it was your fastball.

You see that a lot more and it is easier to pick up on plans and pick up on what they are doing, and it is easier to come out and have a game plan yourself.

I will bring this question to you first Kolby, what’s the one part of your game that you want to improve the most this year?

KA: I feel I do not really have any glaring things. I want to become more well rounded with just my whole repertoire but if I had to choose one thing, I’d probably — I am still working on trying to throw both my off-speed pitches for strikes behind in the count.

I would say that is a big thing because when guys are sitting fastball, no matter really how hard you throw they are going to hit it.

The way I look at it, a fastball is different, but your margin for error is a lot less, so if you can spin the hook over 2-0 or throw a change 2-0 for a strike, it’s really going to open up a lot of different things later in the out bat or later in the game.

Mike, same point of view?

MS: Yes, it is pretty much the same. I have always prided myself in taking a decent approach on the mound to holding runners and all the little things that go into the game but as far as pitching, it is much of the same. Just being able to do that, night in night out, not just the occasional start here and there.

Once you get that down then you can start worrying about locating your breaking ball to both sides of the plate like your fastball, so I think that is really it this year and not just being able to go out there and throw strikes every day but quality strikes.