Get To Know Twins Outfielder Jake Cave

Jake Cave grew up in Virginia where he enjoyed watching AL East baseball. “I was an Orioles fan. I liked the Orioles and the Red Sox actually. And, I was a huge Cal Ripken Jr fan growing up. That was my guy to watch growing up. He was my favorite of all-time.”

At the same time, he was working his way up the amateur ranks in Hampton, first at Hampton Christian and then at Kecoughtan. Following his senior season, he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the sixth round. He had a difficult decision to make. Professional baseball or college ball at one of the top baseball programs in the country?

“I was committed to LSU, but really, I wanted to play pro ball. I wanted to play baseball. I had to play the cards right, and commit and let teams know that I was OK with going to college. But in reality, I wanted to get my career started.”

He signed and went to the Yankees Gulf Coast League affiliate. In his first game, he got into a collision with the catcher at home plate. He fractured his kneecap. He missed the rest of the 2011 season and all of the 2012 season. He returned in 2013 and spent the full season in Low A ball. He split 2014 between High-A and Double-A ball. He spent most of the 2015 season at Double-A Trenton.

While he always had a lot of tools, the stats didn’t necessarily show up early in his career. He put up real solid numbers, but there was always a hint that there was more in him, and as he moved up, the stat lines started to catch up to the tools.

Following that 2015 season, the Cincinnati Reds made Cave their Rule 5 pick. He stuck with them right until the end of spring training when he was returned to the Yankees. Certainly there was some disappointment in not making the team, but it was something that Cave enjoyed and learned a lot from.

“It was a great experience to be in another organization. To get to spend time with Jay Bruce and Joey Votto and guys like that was awesome. Obviously I was a little bummed to be sent back, but I feel like I got better for it. It was a really fun experience.”

Upon returning to the Yankees, Cave played with a new confidence. In 2016, he started back in AA, but after about a month, he moved up to AAA. He received an invitation to Yankees big league camp in 2017 and had a terrific season in Scranton/Wilkes Barre. He hit .324/.367/.554 (.921) with 13 doubles and 15 home runs.The stat line had finally caught up to the tools.

“I was always thought about as a guy who could run a little bit, and I could hit. The stats just weren’t showing what I knew I could do. When I came back from the Reds, it was one of those thing where, I just played a full big league camp with some really good players and I showed that I deserved to be there. I said, ‘I’m just going to go out and play and try to drive the ball a little more and play with a little more confidence.’ Ever since then, I’ve felt great.”

The Yankees added him to their 40-man roster last November. He returned to big league camp, this time on the roster. But that’s when things started getting interesting and wheels started spinning frantically.

“It was a crazy camp, for sure. It was one of those things where the Yankees were making a bunch of moves, and I had just been put on the roster. I had a feeling that something might happen. When I got DFAd, I knew there were teams that wanted to trade for me. I had no idea about the Twins. I kind of had to sit around for a full week. Then I got traded over to the Twins at the end of camp, so I really didn’t know too many people. It was a whole process that made this spring a little tough. I got to meet guys with the Twins, and I feel comfortable now.”

The Twins sent right-handed pitcher Luis Gil to the Yankees in exchange for the outfielder. Gil, a 20-year-old who spent the last two years in the Dominican Summer League, has made one start for the Pulaski Yankees in the Appalachian League and gave up two runs in four innings.

With just a week before Opening Day, Jake Cave arrived at the Twins clubhouse in Ft. Myers. Paul Molitor put him in the lineup that first day.

“It was cool. I was glad I could get right into the lineup. I really hadn’t seen live pitching for a week, so I wanted to get out there and play. I’m glad they did that for me.”

A couple of days later, he was sent down to minor league camp to really get ready for the start of the season. “Then when I got sent back to minor league camp, I got a lot of at bats, so I felt good. I was getting back into the baseball mentality and getting ready for the season.”

In mid-May, Joe Mauer went on the Disabled List with a cervical strain and concussion-like symptoms. Sitting in Rochester, Jake Cave got a late-night call. It was a very exciting moment in the outfielder’s life.

“It was awesome. I was freaking out. I got a call from the AAA manager. I made my first phone calls to my mom, my dad, my sister. Of course, it was at midnight. My sister and my mom answered, but my dad was asleep. I ended up calling my dad the next morning at 5:30 when I was at the airport waiting to get on a 6:00 flight. That was cool.”

The memories continued as Cave arrived in Minneapolis.

“It’s something you dream about forever. To walk into the clubhouse and see my name on the locker was indescribable. Walking around, shaking hands with the guys, Everyone saying Congrats. It’s pretty breathtaking, it’s pretty cool. I will never forget it.”

The game started and Cave found himself in the lineup. But was his family able to get to Target Field on time?

“They made it. Barely. My mom and sister made it in the first inning, and my dad made it like five minutes before my second at bat when I hit the home run, so it was pretty cool.”

Speaking of pretty cool, Twins fans remember Cave’s second at bat which resulted in his first hit and his first big league home run. Cave has seen the video which is pretty much his memory of the moment. Can you imagine the feeling of your first hit? Now imagine it is a home run. What an amazing trip around the bases.

“I think I kind of blacked out. Rounding the bases was the coolest feeling I’ve ever had. The guys were excited. I was excited. I saw the video and saw how excited my family was. It’s a moment I will never forget.”

Since then, he has been sent back to Rochester. He was called up again and had a four-hit game. Needing pitching, Cave was optioned again. But it is clear that Jake Cave can help the Twins in 2018 and beyond.

“I take pride in being able to play all three positions in the outfield. That can be a help for any outfielder. I’m playing mostly in the corner outfield here in AAA. The few starts I’ve had up there have been in centerfield, and I felt really comfortable with that. Everybody says you’re either going to hit or not going to hit, so I’m just going to keep going with that. To be able to come into the game late in left or right or center, or if I start a game in left or right or center, I just want to keep improving on that.”

He’s had some solid mentors throughout the minor leagues, especially in the upper levels and Triple-A.

“Whenever you have guys like (Gregorio) Petit and CC (Chris Carter), even if they’re not trying to give you a lesson, just being around them and seeing how they go about their business and play the game, it helps. I had some more guys like that with the Yankees. And Bobby Wilson, earlier in the year. These veterans, they just kind of go about their business in a different way. They’ve been around for awhile, and they don’t really let things hang over their head. They understand the ups and downs of the game, so I take that away from these guys.”

There is still a little more than half of the season to go. Aside from getting back to the big leagues and potentially staying there, his goals are more process-driven.

“I don’t have any big goals. Everybody says their goal is to get back to the big leagues. I just want to be consistent. I want to be consistent with my work, the same routine I use every day. My cage routine. Trying to do my routine in the weight room and in the training room to keep my body healthy. I just want to keep doing that all year because if I do that, then I will have results, and hopefully get back up there and see what happens.”

Jake Cave will likely find himself making that Rochester to Minneapolis (or wherever the Twins are at the moment) flight, and probably a couple of Minneapolis to Rochester flights as well. But the 25-year-old clearly has a lot of talent and still has a lot of potential. He can hit. He can hit for some power. He can run. He’s pretty solid at all three outfield positions. Whether it is as a fourth outfielder or as a part-time starter, Jake Cave is a player that can help the Minnesota Twins win baseball games.

“When they sent me down, they just told me to keep playing and they’ll be watching.”

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We’ll end with a couple of fun, get to know him a little bit more questions:

What is your walk-up song?

“I’ve had the same walk up song all year. It’s been Method Man and Redman, the Rock WAter. A little throwback rap music.”

What is your favorite baseball movie?

“Favorite baseball movie. That’s tough. It’s got to be either The Sandlot or For the Love of the Game. It’s a toss up. There’s Bull Durham and The Natural.”