It may take a few years before Nathan Flewelling gets an opportunity to be behind the plate for the Tampa Bay Rays, but he’s making a good impression in his first season of professional baseball.
Flewelling was assigned to the single-A Charleston RiverDogs of the Carolina League this season. A good start for the 18-year-old native of Innisfail.
“It’s really cool to be here right off the rip,” he said in a telephone interview from Charleston, SC.
“It shows they have trust in me and are willing to give me the opportunity. I’m trying to make the most of it and trying to be the best player I can be.”
Nathan was selected by the Rays in the third round — 94th overall — in the 2024 Major League Draft. He was offered a significant signing bonus and put his name to the contract on July 26.
“I’m certainly grateful for what I got,” he said. “It was a good offer, enough that it pulled me away from college.”
Nathan was playing for the Sylvan Lake Gulls at the time of the draft and had been committed to attending Gonzaga University last fall.
After signing, he attended the Rays minor league facility.
“Played some rookie ball, a few exhibition games, but nothing crazy, just practice games,” he explained.
This spring he was invited to the Rays main camp and while he was on the bench for a couple games, he didn’t see any action.
“But it was super cool being around the guys at the big league camp and picking their brains.”
But what he did do was get an opportunity to talk with and work with former Toronto Blue Jays and Rays catcher Danny Jansen.
“I was a fan of his when he was with the Blue Jays, so getting a chance to share the field with him was pretty cool.”
Nathan introduced him as a Canadian and a fan.
“He was super cool to me and I respect him a lot. He inspires me and I’d like to be like him.”
The Rays also have a roving catching instructor, who has spent time with Flewelling so far this season.
“He works a lot with me and has brought me a long way so far. It’s good to learn from him.”
Nathan has found a big difference between catching with the Red Deer U18 program, or the Gulls and Single-A.
“There’s a few aspects,” he said. “The speed of the pitches and the game overall is a lot faster. You have to really learn how the game works, the pitch calling side of it and running the defence. The positioning stuff and stuff they preach once you’re there.
“However, it’s petty exciting. It makes you feel important running the game, the defence and controlling the field.”
Nathan has been solid behind the plate and has helped take no-hitters into the seventh inning twice.
“The first game was a prefect game and the very next game was a no-hitter,” he explained.
“I didn’t realize we had the perfect game until about the fifth inning,” he said.
Neither pitcher was able to complete the no-hitter.
“You can’t do much about that. I trusted the pitchers and they trusted me. If it was going to happen, it was going to happen. You just have to make the calls and see what goes with that.”
While it’s a learning process on the catching side of it, so is the hitting.
“It’s the same, making the adjustments,” he said. “Everything is faster, the pitchers are better, so you just have to go with the flow.”
It was a learning experience for Nathan early on, He hit .155 in April, .194 in May and then was a solid .274 in June. He also took his OPS from .536 in April to a very respectable .846 in June. He's now hitting .215 on the year with a .686 OPS.
As of Wednesday, he only played one game in July and was one-for-two with two walks.
“I was waiting for it to come around,” he said. “I knew I wasn’t hitting my best, and in June it came around. I’m looking forward to having a good July as well.”
At 18, Nathan is the youngest player on the team and one of he younger players in the league.
Still, if he continues to impress, he may find himself in High A later this season.
“That would be cool, but there’s a lot that has to happen for that possibility to present itself,” he said. “I’m just playing my game and trying to be the best player I can be in Charleston. I want to be consistent day in and day out, then you never know what they may be thinking.”
While sitting in Charleston, Nathan hasn’t forgotten about Central Alberta.
“I talk with Jason (Gulls head coach Jason Chatwood) often, and I pay attention to my high school team, my buddies are playing on.”
He also realizes his time with the St. Joe’s Academy played a major role in where he is today.
“Jason and the Academy played a huge role, especially later in my time there.”
Nathan’s parent have been down to watch him play, but he’s looking forward to returning home in the off-season.
“Take time to relax,” he concluded.
Danny Rode is a retired Advocate reporter and member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame who can be reached at dannyrode@telus.net
