DUNEDIN, Fla. — Isiah Kiner-Falefa is an athlete.
That’s the label the 28-year-old member of the Toronto Blue Jays prefers rather than thinking of himself as a third baseman, a shortstop, a centre fielder or any of the other five positions (including pitcher) that Kiner-Falefa has played on a major-league field over his six-year career.
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This particular realization hit Kiner-Falefa last year. After he lost his job as the New York Yankees starting shortstop before the season, Kiner-Falefa eventually saw it as a blessing in disguise as he embraced a new role of super-utility player for the Yankees.
“Moving to the outfield freed me up mentally (and) made me appreciate every opportunity that I was given,” Kiner-Falefa said in an interview recently. “It allowed me to just go out there and roam and having that mentality in the outfield of just running balls down and being athletic and being free, I was able to transfer that back to the infield and it freed my game up tremendously.”
“I felt like when I was a utility player it allowed me to be me,” he continued. “And understanding that I’m a good player, that I’ve done things that nobody else has done.”
The Blue Jays signed Kiner-Falefa to a two-year, $15 million deal this offseason, in part, because he brings unparalleled versatility. While he is expected to get a significant amount of playing time at third base this year, the Blue Jays imagine they can use him all over the infield and outfield, if necessary. (Daulton Varsho is the emergency catcher, and while Kiner-Falefa hasn’t done any catching work this spring he said, “It definitely feels like if I was to put the gear on I would have no issues.”)
During a recent day at Blue Jays camp, we asked Kiner-Falefa to take us for a tour around the diamond and explain his experiences and thought process at each of the eight positions he’s played.
(Some of the answers have been edited for clarity.)
Catcher
Career experience: 73 G, 66 GS, 61 CG, 586 Innings
Kiner-Falefa was drafted in 2013 by the Texas Rangers as a shortstop and played the position up through the lower levels of the minor leagues until Double A, when he was converted to catcher.
Kiner-Falefa: People think I’m a catcher first. I thought it was cooler that I caught and learned that quickly and did it in the big leagues at that level. I thought it was cooler that I adapted to catching late…I felt like catching really allowed me to build my floor of having that fallback of being a utility player. And then understanding once I lost my job in New York, that I still had an avenue, I still had a way to play and to help the team.
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Catching really gave me an avenue to talk to pitchers. I’m able to get along with pitchers. I’m able to talk to them in the clubhouse and understand what they’re trying to accomplish because I game-planed; I’ve done my homework. I’ve done things as a catcher that other players on the field don’t have to necessarily do.
If there’s a mound visit, I’m actually able to help them out because I’ve had the experience and it gives me the ability to be like a chameleon in the clubhouse where I can go to any group — if it’s defence, if it’s hitting, if it’s pitching, catching, and I’m able to give input that actually there’s value there because of my experience.
Shortstop
312 G, 304 GS, 289 CG, 2,691 Innings
I know I had a tough spell in New York, but I really enjoy playing shortstop. I feel like I play shortstop at a high level. And I feel like it was more mental for me in New York than anything. And I felt like I’ve overcome that. I’ve really dove into the mental side of things. And I feel like I’m a really good shortstop.
The coolest thing about shortstop is that shortstop is the leader on the field and I feel like I’m a really, really good shortstop. I don’t feel like there’s anything negative about shortstop, really. The one thing in New York was the routine plays, but I cleaned that up and I feel really confident now.
Second base
21 G, 19 GS, 18 CG, 171 1/3 Innings
Growing up (I played) shortstop and second base. I didn’t really play third much until I got to pro ball. So short and second, that’s where I really learned — those were my first two positions. Those are pretty easy for me.
Third base
154 G, 133 GS, 130 CG, 1,207 1/3 Innings
It’s my best position. Third base is the one position where I feel like I can just go up and be myself.
My rookie year (in Texas), I played with Adrián Beltré. Being able to watch him at a young age and just ask him as many questions as possible, and now he’s in the Hall of Fame. It’s almost like the timing of me being a third baseman this year is pretty cool because the guy that I got to watch coming up is entering the Hall of Fame and now I’m getting an opportunity to get more games there. It’s a full-circle moment for me. Having learned from a guy that’s getting inducted just gives me all the confidence in the world there.
What is the best advice Beltre gave you?
You got time. I think the one thing I guess at shortstop was the throwing was a little tougher because it’s a little farther throw and you don’t have time to really set your feet. The one thing in New York I got crushed on was tapping my glove and I fixed it, I fixed it, but that was the one thing about shortstop is to get rid of the ball quick.
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Third base is (you) take all the time you want. Kiss the ball if you want. You have so much time because when a guy hits it to you, he’s flying open and he’s probably not getting out the box (well).
Centre field
41 G, 29 GS, 22 CG, 278 1/3 Innings
It’s almost like shortstop or like in the infield where short and third were just natural. Just roaming (for) balls and running balls down, that’s when I really started to be free last year when I played centre. Centre field is a fun position for me because it helped me get back on the right track.
You have one of the best centre fielders ever here. Have you talked to Kevin Kiermaier?
I told him when I got here like, “Hey, I’m not planning on playing centre because we got you, but I’m going to go out there and I’m going to bug you because I don’t know if I’m ever going to have the opportunity to play with a guy as good as him out there. And if I can put that in my toolbox that would add a lot of value.”
What stands out about his play? Have you picked anything up yet?
His smoothness out there, it’s insane. I’m fast, but he’s fast and the way he moves, it’s a different type of smoothness. I feel like a lot of guys are smooth with the gloves, smooth with the hands, but he has that attribute with his legs, so it’s almost like he’s a soccer player. The way he moves is pretty cool.
Left field
37 G, 28 GS, 18 CG, 248 Innings
Left field to me is probably the position I need the most work. It’s just a little different because centre field, you’re able to roam laterally. Left field is more in on balls (and) more dealing with the wall, I would say, whereas centre field, you’re kind of cutting corners or cutting the gap off.
You also have to understand that you have to hold your ground. Left field was a little tough for me because being a shortstop, it’s like being a ball hawk. When I played left field, I played with Harrison Bader last year, and he was kind of like Kiermaier, where he would take all the balls and I had trouble with not going after balls because I was a shortstop. It just wasn’t as natural for me.
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But it’s something I’m working on this camp and I’ve also asked (Varsho) because Varsh is probably the best. He should have won a Gold Glove last year, maybe even a Platinum Glove last year. Having those guys, I’m bugging them as much as I can.
Being so comfortable on the left side of the infield, I would have thought it would have transferred to the outfield.
That’s what I thought. I literally thought, “Oh third base and left field are almost the same.” But I felt like on lefties, I was getting too good of jumps. I think my first step is the number one in the league and when I take off on balls, it’s almost like I take off too fast and it ends up curving back to where I was. So I got to play a little slower in left and sometimes that’s hard for me to do.
Right field
7 G, 4 GS, 3 CG, 40 Innings
Right field is a little easier. I think it’s the easiest spot in the outfield. I just feel like the ball doesn’t come as hard to right field as it does to left field. I don’t know why or what it is, but for me, it’s just a lot easier to read the ball off the bat in right.
Pitcher
4 G, 4 IP, 2.25 ERA, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 16 BF
It was fun to get on the mound and understand that pitching is hard. Sometimes we don’t understand as hitters how hard it is. Pitchers are really good now, but it’s also really hard to throw strikes. The one thing I noticed when I got up there was the plate is tiny. It is so tiny. So just taking that experience with me to the plate, it just helped me in different ways, so I can see how it really helps (Shohei) Ohtani.
Last season, after Kiner-Falefa pitched a shutout ninth in a 10-0 blowout loss to the Seattle Mariners, he came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth and hit a two-run home run — as the pitcher. He was the first Yankees pitcher to homer in a game since Lindy McDaniel, in 1972.
For Yankees history, I’m on there with Babe Ruth as a pitcher to have a strikeout and hit a homer, so that was just a cool moment for me, just to get in there and then have that next to my name is pretty cool.
IKF gets his first career strikeout!!@Casamigos | #MLBNShowcase | #RepBX pic.twitter.com/yW00RqZdiv
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 23, 2023
Shohei Ohtani, meet Isiah Kiner-Falefa. 🦄
IKF breaks up the shutout with a 2-run homer!@Casamigos | #MLBNShowcase | #RepBX pic.twitter.com/rr4FossMIH
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 23, 2023
The only position Kiner-Falefa hasn’t played in an MLB game is first base. Would he like to so he could say he’s played every position in an MLB game?
I would like to, but at the same time, I don’t, because that means Vladdy (Guerrero)’s not on the field. We want that guy on the field every game. But in a blowout when they need a rest, that’ll be a good opportunity. Just get one inning.
(Top photo of Kiner-Falefa turning a double play this spring: Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today)
