A Chicago native, Calvin Greenfield moved to Florida last summer before the start of his senior year of high school this past fall. A University of Florida commit, Greenfield is one of the top prep catching prospects in the 2017 class and believes moving south to sunny Florida has helped his development.
“I’ve been lucky enough this spring to catch a lot of bullpens for pro guys that are headed back to spring training,” Greenfield said. “That was really great and has helped me the most this spring.”
Baseball America ranks Greenfield as the second-best prep catching prospect and the 56th-best overall prep prospect in June’s MLB First-Year Player Draft.
But like other high-profile draft prospects, he’s leaving the draft pressure for others to worry about.
“The ultimate goal for me is to play in the major leagues,” Greenfield said. “Come June and what happens in the draft, that will say a lot to me about whether Florida or the draft is the best route for me.”
While he’s still unsure about if he’ll go straight into professional baseball out of high school, he believes he has a lot to offer a franchise.
“I think a team should draft me because I have the best combination of all the things in a catcher that teams are looking for,” Greenfield said. “I think I have the defensive ability and my bat is up there in this class.
“I think I’m a good guy and able to build strong relationships with people, which translates with working with pitchers and my other teammates.”
A 6-foot-1, 206-pound backstop, Greenfield garnered attention playing on the showcase circuit and with Team USA last summer. While his defense is ahead of his hitting, Greenfield has a high ceiling with room to grow and develop.
“I think the biggest strength in my game is my defense and my ability to work with pitchers,” Greenfield said. “I’ve always called my own games. I think my pitchers and the coaches I’ve had have a lot of confidence in me to manage the game and a whole pitching staff.”
Greenfield spent this past off-season on improving his flexibility, which he hopes will help him in all areas of his game. He’s also hoping to show an improvement offensively this spring.
“I think just being consistent at the plate,” Greenfield said. “I’d like to show that I can put up those power numbers and really be an influential guy in the middle of the lineup.”
With his senior season of baseball underway, Greenfield is enjoying his new school and baseball team in Florida. He knows switching schools and moving south has made him a better overall catcher.
But he isn’t focused on his individual success this spring, instead, he hopes to have a memorable senior season by leading his team to a state title.
“We all want to win a state championship,” Greenfield said. “I just try to go out there and do my best. I know if I do that and work my hardest, the results will be great. I just try to work my hardest every day.”
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