Kernels' Backstop Alex Isola is Catching On

Alex Isola has played catcher most of his ball-playing career. He grew up near Sacramento and attended Jesuit High School where he starred on the ball field and in the classroom. He went to the University of Utah for one season and played in 12 games. The next year, he headed to Arizona where he played for Yavapai College, a junior college. He hit .367 with eight homers and 37 RBI that year which provided him with the opportunity to go to Texas Christian University for his junior season. 

In 2019, Isola started 49 games for the Horned Frogs, 34 at catcher and 15 at DH. He hit .267/.377/.385 (.762) with seven doubles and five home runs. He also really grew as a catcher. The Twins drafted him in the 29th round in 2019 and sent him to Elizabethton. After just seven games in the Appalachian League, he finished the season with 18 games played for the then Low-A Cedar Rapids Kernels. 

This spring, Isola was invited to participate in the Twins depth camp at big-league spring training. He didn’t get many in-game plate appearances, but he learned a lot. 

He said in early May, “The experience was one full of learning and a taste of what it’s like to be at that level. Just to see guys go about their business and watch them on an everyday basis allowed me to see what it takes and gave me things to learn about and add to my game.” 

Isola continued, “I got to talk to Nelson Cruz and Josh Donaldson who were some of my favorite guys to watch in high school, but I tried not to be too in awe because I didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable. They really just showed me how to find a routine and the thing that impressed me the most was their discipline each day about doing the same things over and over with enthusiasm.” 

He spent a lot of time working with the big-league catchers. “It can be really complicated. Those guys do a good job of doing complicated better and making it as simple as possible. Just watching Garver, Jeffers and others, you find a routine that works for you, like a pregame routine, something that you can go to every day to get better. It was more about the way they approach every day and go about their business. Baseball is repetition. You have to do the same thing every day, and you have to love doing the same stuff every day. You see how they go about it. They don’t cheat themselves. They grind everyday.”  

Let’s get back to the defensive side of catching where that grind can be tough. I was always too chicken to want to don the tools of ignorance when I was young. I wanted to play shortstop or third base. I didn’t want to wear the gear or take foul tips. However, in summer amateur ball while in college, I agreed to play the position when the team’s catcher (OK, my brother) got hit in the face with a fastball that tailed right into his nose. I’ve got to be honest, I loved it. No, not that my brother had a broken nose and needed surgery. That was scary! But I loved catching. I wish I would have played there all along. You are involved in every pitch. You kind of run the show. 

What is it about the position that Isola most enjoys? His answer speaks volumes about him as a person and as a teammate. 

“I think my favorite part is the relationship you form with the pitchers. I take a lot of pride in that. It’s not about me back there. My job is to get the best out of those guys. For me, I try to be there for them if they want me to catch extra. Get to know them off the field. What’s their personality? And most important, what is their stuff like?”

In addition to building that relationship, Isola has worked hard on other aspects of catching too. “(I want to) Make sure I’m on top of my game calling. That’s been a big thing for me. Such an important part of the game is game calling, but it’s also fun because it’s like solving a problem. You’ve got your guy’s strengths against a hitter's weaknesses. But you’ve got to first focus on your guy’s strengths and then form a plan based on that. Obviously you like throwing out runners. The receiving part is, the Twins are big on that, it took me awhile to learn, and I’m still learning everyday. We’re on the one-knee stance a lot. My favorite part is the relationship part, and then game-calling because that’s where I can solve problems.”

With Kernels first baseman Gabe Snyder on the Injured List and Trey Cabbage up in Double-A, the team has to play others at first base. Many nights, that is a catcher, and Isola has been able to get extra at bats because of that flexibility. He had played a little bit there in junior college. 

“It was one of the things I worked on during quarantine. I had so much time. Some of the guys I worked with are infielders, so I figured why not. I got to see Astudillo, and you can create a lot of value for yourself just by playing other positions.” 

He added, “I’m open to it. I want to learn. You just play wherever the team needs you at this point. We’ve had so many injuries this year. I’m just trying to help where I can. I want to play every day, so whatever “Dink” wants, I can do.”   

Also during quarantine, Isola was able to rekindle something that will help him through the ups and downs of a long baseball season and career. 

“My faith is something that I grew up with and when I got to college strayed away from to be honest. This last year during quarantine I rekindled my relationship with God and it’s made me realize how important it is to have a relationship with Him. Early in the year when I was struggling at the plate, I had faith that God would get me through and reading the Bible allowed me to maintain a good perspective on things that normally would have had me panicking. Having that relationship with God is key for me along with my family in getting through the ups and downs of a season.”

On  Tuesday night in Cedar Rapids, Isola was behind the plate, but at the plate, he went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI. He had a single, a double and his seventh home run of the season. No, he didn’t have a triple. He hasn’t had one in his professional career. He didn’t have any in three seasons of college ball. 

He said, “I think I had one in high school. I’m not a fast runner. I’m a catcher. I’m going to need a deep ballpark.” 

In 42 games on the season, Isola is now hitting .234/.379/.438 (.817) with seven doubles, seven homers and 20 RBI. He also has 31 walks to go against 36 strikeouts. He is patient at the plate and yet has some really good pop in his bat. 

A couple of weeks ago, Brian Dinkelman said, “I think his eye and approach have always been there as far as laying off pitches and taking his walks. Now he’s getting stronger and is starting to hit the ball a little harder. The power is starting to come around. So if he can combine the walks with some power also, he can be a good hitter.” 

“For me as a hitter, I try to go in with an understanding of what I’m going to do. There are times when you are just reacting, but if I can go in with a good plan based on which pitcher we’re facing. The big thing with the walks is you just don’t want to give away at bats. That’s the tough thing about baseball. It’s a long season. You really have to be competitive in there. There are a lot of strikeouts in baseball right now. I choke up with two strikes. I foul off a lot of balls. I work deep in counts so I’ll get some walks.” 

He gives a lot of credit to Kernels hitting coach Bryce Berg.  “I give it up to him. He does a great job of helping me develop a plan, trying that and executing it.” . 

Alex Isola used the time off in 2020 to his benefit. “I had a full year to just work on my game. Credit to the Twins. I’ve been working with hitting coaches and catching coaches during quarantine. As much as everyone was down because were weren’t playing, I tried to use it as a positive and try to focus on all aspects of my game.” 

Manager Brian Dinkelman notes that Isola has really grown as a player since he joined the Kernels late in the 2019 season. “He’s really improved his ABs. He’s really driving the ball a lot more this year in terms of power, which is good to see. He’s improving every day and becoming more of a complete player.” 

Isola hasn’t shown up on any Twins top prospect ranking articles. However, if he continues to work hard on presenting pitches and working with pitchers, and is able to maintain a solid approach at the plate, he is a guy who could slowly work his way up to the big leagues in time.