Getting to Know Astros/Hooks OF Stephen Wrenn

Watching OF Stephen Wrenn over the weekend playing with the Corpus Christi Hooks reminded me of something that Enos Cabell once said to me about a minor league player, "He needs to figure out what kind of player he's going to be." I've watched Wrenn play since he was first drafted by the Astros in the sixth round in 2016 out of the University of Georgia, but I wasn't sure what to make of him until he started really putting his speed to good use in 2018, a year in which he stole 44 bases, trailing only Myles Straw within the Astros system.

Stephen Wrenn - April 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I mentioned Cabell's assessment of that player from years past and it resonated with Wrenn, "Definitely. You go out and you want to hit the ball higher and harder, but at the end of the day, I'm not going to be a guy who's hitting four hole. For a little bit, I just tried to absolutely kill balls and hit homers but (I've been) learning that speed's got to be my game, having a good approach. Can't just sell out trying to hit the ball as far as I can."

Hooks Manager Omar Lopez agreed, "That's one of the biggest issues players have. Sometimes they know, but they don't want to (accept) what type of player they are because they don't trust in themselves when they step on the field." Lopez went on to say, "Wrenn can run. He can catch. He can throw. He can hit. He's very smart. But he's got the tendency to think too much and be over-analytical and that creates lack of confidence and doubts. Now (he's) more mature. Now he knows what type of player he can be. He's more mature and he's in a good place now."

That maturity as a player is translating into a good start to Wrenn's season as he has hit .280/.398/.378 through his first 23 games. That .398 on-base percentage is almost 80 points higher than it was in 2018 as Wrenn is walking more and striking out less to this point in the season. When asked about his good start, Wrenn said, "My mindset going into this year was I was going to attack approach really hard. And that's what I've done. I've talked to some of the coaches. Honestly, I'm at the point where I'd rather be confident with a bad swing than not confident with a good swing. So far I'm walking more and striking out less because I'm swinging out of the zone less. I'm giving pitchers the pitcher's pitch. If they're making a good pitch, I'm laying off it for the most part and if it's a strike, it's a strike. I'm just trying to really lock in to good pitches to hit, just shrink my zone. Pitch selection has been the one thing that has been the toughest for me and just learning to be more patient in the box with my mindset has been helpful so far." To build on his good start, Wrenn's game plan is simple, "I think just staying within myself and not trying to be somebody else. Know who I am as a player and just do what I do really well."

Defensively, Wrenn characterizes himself as solid and I would concur with that assessment. He has the ability to play all three outfield positions and has played mostly right field and centerfield over the last three seasons where his speed plays well. Wrenn considers his speed to be one of his greatest strengths as a player, but also cites his ability to observe and learn as something that works in his favor. "I feel like I'm a pretty good learner. I've learned a lot of things as we've gone, but this feels like a big piece that I'm learning right now, just how to be patient," said Wrenn.

I also reached out to Hooks Hitting Coach Tim LaMonte for his take on Wrenn and what I got is more personality assessment than scouting report, but is spot on regarding Wrenn's personality. "Wrenn might be the funniest guy on the team. He has a dry sense of humor but he is very witty and quick. He keeps the guys light and has a great calm demeanor that allows him to not have extended periods of struggle. We are working on him being able to elevate the ball a tad," said LaMonte.

But there was another side to Wrenn's personality that I saw when asking him what he would do if he couldn't play baseball. "It's got to be something competitive. I'd have to go into sales or into baseball or something competitive where I feel like I can win or lose. Yeah, I wouldn't be able to just knock out a to-do list. I'd have to feel like I'm winning games or losing games or I'm winning a deal or losing a deal," said Wrenn. His calm demeanor belies a competitive fire that I hadn't seen from Wrenn before. And I liked it.

Thank you for your time Stephen, and best of luck as your season continues.