Brett Cumberland Adapts Quickly To Pro Routine

The Braves knew Brett Cumberland needed to hone his skills behind the plate upon drafting the switch-hitter as a supplemental second-round pick in 2016, when he was a draft-eligible sophomore at California.

The 22-year-old has in many ways exceeded expectations in his full-season debut in 2017. Cumberland began the year at low Class A Rome and continued to hit at high Class A Florida following a June promotion, batting a combined .269/.408/.462 with 11 home runs in 102 games.

That performance comes on the heels of an impressive stint at Cal, where Cumberland won Pacific-12 Conference player-of-the-year honors in 2016.

Cumberland said the discipline he discovered during his two years in Berkeley made him a better player than he was when he went undrafted out of Turlock (Calif.) High.

“I thought pro ball would be more of a grind than college was, but in my opinion now, college is more of a grind,” Cumberland said. “In college we had 6 a.m. weights and then classes and practice and mandatory study halls. We didn’t get home until 9 p.m. I believe playing baseball in college is a longer day. In pro ball, everything is strictly baseball. Both have their benefits, but I’m glad I’m where I am right now.”

Cumberland is a disciplined hitter from both sides of the plate with a good feel for the strike zone. Most of his power comes from the left side, with his first 11 home runs this year coming from that side. He said he honed his abilities as a hitter in college.

“The talent level is better (in pro ball), but at this (high Class A) level, there’s a lot of throwers as opposed to pitchers,” Cumberland said. “In the Pac-12, the pitchers have more of an approach, and even if they may not be throwing as hard on average, they have a better idea of what they want to do. There’s more sequencing of pitches is college.”

While Cumberland’s calling card is his bat, his focus centers on improving his defense. He has soft hands and receives the ball well. He also has an average arm but needs to improve his overall footwork while quickening his release. Cumberland brings a gritty approach to catching, so his work ethic is not a concern.

“Before I played in Little League, playing pro ball was an idea I had in my head,” Cumberland said. “It has always been a plan that I wanted to pursue.”