De La Guerra adjusting to ups, downs

Minor Leaguers are always waiting for the next "call," one that can mean a nod to a higher level. But sometimes the news from the other side isn't always good. This spring, Chad De La Guerra has experienced both ends of the spectrum.
The good kind came with Spring Training winding down in Fort Myers. De La Guerra, the 24th-ranked Red Sox prospect, trended upward in 2017, just one season after fracturing his lower leg. After posting a .270/.353/.408 slash line in 52 games as a reliable hitter and utility infielder with Double-A Portland, the Red Sox promoted him to Triple-A Pawtucket to begin 2018.
He was now at the Minor's highest level, his ultimate dream in sight. And it couldn't have gone much worse, at least at the plate.

At first, it was just a slow start, two hits in 16 at-bats over his first five games. Five hits came over the next seven contests, but his average was still at .171. Then, he reached base on contact just once in the next 10 days.
What was going on? De La Guerra didn't feel intimidated by Triple-A pitchers, didn't feel like their stuff was markedly better. He'd never been a power hitter, but his intuition and consistent line drive contact had gotten him this far. Until they all but disappeared for 22 games.
"I don't really know what happened that first month in Pawtucket," De La Guerra said. "I don't feel like I was doing as bad as the numbers were showing, but things certainly weren't going my way. By no means was I playing well though."
After a 3-for-32 stretch that spanned from April 24-May 7, De La Guerra got the kind of call he'd prefer not to receive: he was going back to Portland.
It was a little publicized roster move, but space has to be made for those on the rise. And in April, that just wasn't De La Guerra. But the transaction had purpose. As Red Sox personnel stressed, and as Sea Dogs manager Darren Fenster agreed, this wasn't a throwaway demotion.
Just as they'd been looking for his best interests in Florida, the organization was putting De La Guerra in a position where he could improve.
"It was just a total reset for him. He's a really talented player, and it's not the first time a guy like him has struggled in his first trip to Triple-A, and it won't be the last," Fenster said. "This gave him an opportunity to start over from scratch and get back to work. That way, when struggles ever return or when he heads back to Triple-A, he'll be better prepared and in a more confident place."
The reset wasn't with unfamiliar company. Lee May Jr. was De La Guerra's hitting coach during his first productive stint in Portland and Fenster managed the infielder during an injury-shortened 2016 season with Class A Greenville.
It wasn't that his coaches hadn't been helpful in Pawtucket, but the knowledge that he'd already had success in the Eastern League and the familiarity with the Double-A level gave De La Guerra instant confidence at a time when he needed it most.

"My coaches [in Pawtucket] were on me when I left. They said, 'Go down, work hard and get back up here,'" he said. "I told myself I was going to work as hard as I ever had. It was definitely very humbling, but I told myself I was going to play like my hair was on fire."
Now that he'd reached the Minors' highest level, De La Guerra instantly recognized the different approaches to pitching at different levels. Each jump he took during his pro career, he noticed a difference. But the final one was unique.
"They're a lot more focused on everything because they're just one level away, just like you are," he explained. "Pitchers are so focused on their different approaches to different hitters. I wouldn't say they have too much stuff [on their pitches], but they're wise. They're super-consistent and they stick to it."
"Triple-A guys have much more experience," Fenster added. "They're older players and they might not have the standout tools you see in Double-A, where they're still developing and learning to pitch and be consistent in their approaches. [At Triple-A], they have a significant amount service, and some have even been to the big leagues. A lot of times, inexperienced players getting their first taste don't learn to adjust quickly, and Chad dealt with that there. But he came down here and handled himself well."
As a first-timer in the International League, the California native failed to make the adjustment -- both mentally and physically -- quickly enough. He admitted his short-term struggles spun out of control, something he said he knew he'd have to work to prevent. But it was easier said than done.
"I don't think I was putting too much pressure on myself or was too nervous. I tried to have the same approach at the plate," De La Guerra said. "But you have to make sure not to let it spiral out of control. I think I made my first couple weeks up there seem a lot worse than it actually was. The key is controlling that and dealing with the ups and downs."
It was reassuring, however, coming back to familiar surroundings in Portland. Rather than feeling dejected, he hit the ground running. He rediscovered his groove in his first at-bat in New Hampshire on May 9. Facing right-hander and Blue Jays No. 30 prospect Jon Harris, the Sea Dogs second baseman knocked a 2-0 pitch to right field for a single. He stole second and scored on a double by Austin Rei.
"I just remember that first game searching for a good pitch, and I got it," he said. "Once you get that first one out of the way, I just loosened up a bit. And by the second game, I'm back to my approach, looking for the right pitches."

After that first game back, De La Guerra played four over the next three days, going 7-for-15 with a homer and a triple. In 15 games with Portland, he's hitting .365 with six extra-base hits and 14 RBIs.
If he learned one thing during his time in Pawtucket, it's that baseball is a game of streaks. At its core, it's a game of failure. But it's also about managing that failure and the roller-coaster of emotions that come with it. Because he's on a hot streak, the law of averages says there's bound to be another slump down the road. The key is he's learned how to ride it out when he returns to Triple-A and more experienced pitchers.
"It's all going to be up and down, so just instead of going through huge ups and huge downs, I need to even it out," he said. "Don't let the lows get you too low, so that when the bad games come, you don't let them turn into a bad streak."