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George Carroll became an integral member of both the GCL Blue Jays and the Bluefield Blue Jays this season

With so many outstanding catchers in the Toronto Blue Jays’ system, it is hard for a catcher to stand out. That said, 23-year-old, George Carroll, in his first year in the Blue Jays’ organization has quietly made a name for himself this past season with both the GCL Blue Jays and Bluefield Blue Jays. With many fans eager to learn more about their new catcher, Carroll sat down with JaysProspects to shine some light on how he got to where he is today.

Having grown up in Queens, New York, the first thing that needed to be clarified was whether Carroll was a Yankees fan. Fortunately, the young prospect had a great response, “I’m actually one train-stop away from Citi Field, yet I did grow up a Yankee Fan. With that said, I will admit, that my heart now belongs to the Blue Jays.”

Carroll’s professional life has found nothing but success. While it can certainly be attributed to lots of hard work and determination, Carroll also states that there are other people that can be credited for his accomplishments: “Without hesitation I would have to credit my family for driving me to all those sandlot fields and supporting my dream since I was a little kid.  Whenever I was feeling down they would pick me right back up. I cannot thank them enough for pushing me and giving me the strength to get to this point.”

Carroll also gave thanks to a coach he had at New York Tech, Doug Manfredonia, as Carroll explains, “Manfredonia used to play for the Dodgers in his professional career and for that reason was always able to give me great advice and great support. I will never forget the fact that he always believed in me.”

Carroll, last season with NYIT, posted a .269 batting average with 19 doubles, 10 homeruns, and 64 RBI

Manfredonia has reason to believe, however, as Carroll has found success at every level in which he has played thus far. As a senior attending Holy Cross High School, the young catcher batted .318 and was named CHSAA Catcher of the Year; In College, at NYIT, he batted .269 with 19 doubles, 10 homeruns, and 64 RBI, and this season with the Blue Jays’ organization, Carroll had two doubles, four runs, and four RBI in only 17 games played.

Discussing the progression and the differences between the levels of play, the young New Yorker admitted, “I enjoyed high school and college ball very much because I got to experience it all with my best friend, Effrey Valdez. Through the nine years that we played together, he made it easier to get through all of the ups and downs and made me a stronger player.” Carroll added, “Without a doubt, the GCL season was definitely the most challenging, but it was also the most rewarding. It’s a grind but you have your teammates to get you through it and after a hard day’s work you feel great about yourself and cannot wait for the next day to begin.”

While Carroll states that the GCL league was most rewarding, he admits that his favourite professional moment occurred when playing for NYIT. He states, “In the conference tournament, in our first elimination game, I hit a walk-off 2-run double and got dog piled before I reached second base. It is a moment I will never forget.”

Carroll also admits that he has another favourite moment, and that was being teammates with his best friend, Effrey Valdez. “Effrey was a tremendous player” his best friend admits, “In fact, in our last home stand,  he went 12 for 15 with two grand slams, 2-two-run homeruns and 1 solo home run against Texan Pan America.  It was something that you had to see, I was so proud to see him break the all-time hits record in front of all of our friends and family.”

Carroll admits that he prefers playing the position of catcher, but will play anywhere the organization sees fit

Yet, in return, his best friend has a reason to be equally proud of him. Carroll is determined to make it to the majors. The question is, however — which position will he play when he gets there? While he was drafted as a catcher, he split his time between catcher and first base this season. He states, “God willing I will stay behind the plate. But with that said, if the organization want me to play first, third, in the outfield, or even pitch I’ll do it.  God gave me the gift to be versatile and I think that will help me out in my career.”

Being versatile isn’t Carroll’s only strength, however, as the young 23-year old also admits that his best skill at the plate is the ability to hit the ball in to the opposite field and be a strong situational hitter. That said, off the field, he admits that his best skills consists of the fact that he has a pretty mean wrist shot.

This latter proclamation is sure to win the hearts of all Blue Jays’ fans as Carroll later announces that one fact many people do not know about him is that he is a die-hard hockey fan.

For this reason, one can only expect that Carroll will spend the off-season watching NHL; however, he has since told us that he does have other plans. He proclaims, “During the off-season I have been working out with my college team a few days a week and have been hitting the gym six days a week.  I just need to maintain my strong work ethic. I feel it will allow me to succeed at the next level.”

Everyone at JaysProspects.com wishes George Carroll the best of luck in reaching that next level. We also kindly thank him for his time.