C’s Chat – 2024 Vancouver Canadians RHP #30 Alex Amalfi – C's Plus Baseball

The latest guest on C’s Chat is with 2024 Vancouver Canadians pitcher Alex Amalfi.

Born as Alexei Popov Sergikov, Alex was adopted in a Russian orphanage by his parents Michael and Pamela Amalfi when he was two years old according to Sportsnet, who profiled Amalfi as part of its In The System series.

Growing up in Ashland, Massachusetts, Amalfi got started in baseball at an early age and was a teammate of C’s catcher Jackson Hornung in T-Ball and Little League. That partnership also continued at Ashland High School where they were teammates in baseball and hockey. Amalfi helped the baseball Clockers win the Tri-Valley League Championship in 2015. During high school, he compiled a career record of 15-5 with a 2.07 earned run average, including a 7-1 mark with a 0.96 ERA in his senior season to win Tri-Valley Pitcher of the Year honours in 2019.

The summer of 2019 saw Amalfi enjoy his best-ever performance on the mound when he threw a no-hitter for Nokona Baseball, an AAU (Amateur Athletic Association) squad. It ended with a 9-3 putout as the Nokona right fielder did his best Jesse Barfield impersonation to throw out the runner at first base. It was with Nokona that Amalfi got the attention of University of Massachusetts-Boston coach Brendan Eygabroat. After accepting an invite to a UMB prospect camp, Amalfi would commit to the Beacons.

COVID delayed Amalfi’s first college season to 2021 but he did get to join the Worcester Bravehearts of the Futures Collegiate League for the 2020 campaign. He won both of his decisions and struck out 19 batters in 12 innings.

With UMass Boston in 2021, Amalfi earned a save but four of his seven appearances were as a starter as he put a 1.93 ERA with a 34-6 strikeout/walk total in 28 innings. It was off to Worcester again for more summer ball and he was named a Futures Collegiate League All-Star where he went 4-3 with a 3.38 ERA and struck out 68 batters in 53-1/3 innings.

Amalfi shone even brighter with the Beacons in 2022. He won eight of 12 decisions with a 3.38 ERA and struck out 101 batters against 28 walks in 56 innings. His signature outing was an 18-strikeout performance over seven shutout innings in a win over the University of Southern Maine in the Little East Conference Tournament on May 11.

The two-time Little East Conference 2nd Team selection would go on to the Cape Cod League to join the Orleans Firebirds where he sat down 19 batters in 17 innings.

Even though he was not drafted, Amalfi was courted by one West Coast MLB team but ultimately decided to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays as a free agent on July 26, 2022 on the advice of scout Pete Holmes. Amalfi made six appearances with the Dunedin Blue Jays at the end of the year with his pro debut coming against Jupiter on August 17.

It was back to Dunedin for Amalfi in 2023 and he put up a 2.00 ERA in April thanks in large part to four shutout innings with two strikeouts against Tampa on April 14 in his second professional start. He was placed on the injured list on April 29 but made it back to the mound where he pitched 1-2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in Tampa on May 19.

Amalfi’s first professional win came in his next outing as he flexed his way through two perfect innings and five strikeouts against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on May 27. He earned a hold with three shutout stanzas and four Ks at Bradenton on June 8 and collected his second win by fanning six while putting up three goose eggs against Lakeland on June 14. His first professional save came against Lakeland on July 20 with two bagels and three whiffs.

It was at Lakeland that Amalfi earned another victory with two shutout inning in which he fanned two on August 10. He finished the month with another win against St. Lucie with 3-2/3 shutout innings and five punchouts. The season totals were 62 strikeouts in 50-1/3 innings with a 4-4 record and a 3.75 ERA.

Amalfi was named to the 2024 Opening Day roster for the Vancouver Canadians and made his debut in the season opener at Spokane on April 5. He tossed two shutout innings with two strikeouts in a win at Eugene on April 23. Amalfi did not allow a run in three innings and struck out three to help the C’s win against Everett on May 10.

Another three-shutout inning performance came on June 7 at Everett which saw him record one strikeout. He then earned his first save with a perfect ninth inning and one strikeout at Tri-City on June 19. In the second-half season opener on June 21, Amalfi bridged the gap with three shutout innings and four strikeouts in an eventual win at Tri-City.

C’s Plus Baseball spoke with the 23-year-old Amalfi during the team’s homestand against Spokane in mid-June. This interview has been edited for clarity.

C’s Plus Baseball – How you got started in baseball, where did your journey start?

Alex Amalfi – My baseball journey started from the earliest age I can remember. I always just had a glove on me, had a little bat with me everywhere I went. Me and my buddies always played wiffle ball growing up, just in the front yard, the back yard, wherever. I think that really led me into just getting into baseball more. I played Little League and all that, T-ball, and I’ve just always loved baseball. I eventually got into high school and kept just enjoying the game. I honestly never thought I would get to college. I wasn’t one of those kids who grew up thinking, ‘Oh, I want to go to Florida State, one of those schools.’ I didn’t really think about college, but I was lucky enough to get recruited by (head coach) Brendan Eygabroat from UMass Boston and that was an amazing opportunity that he gave me. And then from there, I just kept getting better, working harder, kept getting some invites to these showcase days. And from there, that’s where (Blue Jays) scout Pete Holmes saw me and eventually, he just kept following me and eventually it happened.

CPB – In high school, did you play other sports?

AA – I played hockey in high school. I started hockey pretty late compared to everybody. Same thing with me for baseball. My Dad said he took me out because I was always complaining about my helmet hurting but I eventually got back into it because the same buddies I played wiffle ball with started putting a rink in their backyard and I kept playing there. They wanted to play high school hockey so I just joined them. I played with Jackson (Jackson Hornung). He was really good at hockey but I just had some fun. I only played that.

CPB – Were you a forward or a defenceman?

AA – I was a forward. I played a good amount of center and some wing, but I liked center just because I was pretty good at winning face-offs.

CPB – Were you an offensive or defensive forward?

AA – I mean, I wasn’t too good enough to tell you that part but I was pretty well-rounded, I would say for my skill set.

CPB – Did you have a favourite hockey team growing up?

AA – Of course, the Bruins. Boston Bruins.

CPB – Did you have a favourite player?

AA – Growing up, I liked Nathan Horton. I liked watching him play. He was my favourite player growing up for a while. And then Johnny Boychuk. One of those big, bad Bruins days, Zdeno Chara, that age of them. I just loved watching them.

CPB – I’m sure being here in Vancouver has got to bring back positive memories of the Bruins’ last Stanley Cup victory here.

AA – Definitely. I was actually lucky enough to go catch a game, Canucks versus the Golden Knights so that was pretty cool to see.

CPB – How do you compare going to a game here in Vancouver as compared to Boston?

AA – It’s just a lot different going to a different team’s stadium, I would say. It’s not your team you grew up watching but I think it was a really cool atmosphere there. I think the fans are very into it there so I’d like to see that.

CPB – Now you mentioned Jackson Hornung was a high school teammate. You also know Pat Gallagher and Grayson Thurman. What’s it like being here on the Canadians with all these guys with the Boston Connections here?

AA – It’s awesome. You get that little piece of home with you when you’re almost across the world, but definitely in a different country. Having someone that I grew up with since kindergarten and then some other guys that I met along the way. It’s just nice to have that little piece of comfort.

CPB – You work with different catchers, of course, Jackson Hornung being one of them. It must seem surreal to you that here you are, you’re playing together in Little League, high school, and here you are in the pros.

AA – That’ll be a story that we can have for the rest of our lives so that’s pretty cool. I love pitching to him. I haven’t got to pitch to him too much this year. It’s just that comfort factor. Having to get in the pitch room because we know each other, we trust each other but it’s not always going to be that way. So I’m trying my best to work with these catchers, with Jommer (Jommer Hernández) and Robert Brooks, the new guy. I feel like I have a good relationship with both of them and all of them, so I think that helps a lot. Now it’s just getting on the same page with the pitches that I want to throw so we’re getting there.

CPB – When did you first became a pitcher full-time?

AA – I was mainly a pitcher in high school but I still played the field. I played infield a lot in high school and I hit. I wasn’t the best hitter. I would say pretty average but once I got to college is when I started pitching full-time. My coach gave me the option my freshman year to decide if I wanted to do both or not but I said no. I just wanted to focus on pitching.

CPB What would you say has helped you develop as a pitcher?

AA – Definitely lifting. Lifting and eating more. Just filling out with my body because I’m a slender guy. So filling out with my body and getting some strength has definitely helped with velo intake. And with that velo jump, it just helps me feel more comfortable in the zone so I think that helped a lot.

CPB – Was there a coach along the way that helped you develop your pitching style?

AA – I would definitely say my facility back at home. There’s a pitching coach there named Jeff Paulsen. He’s with a team called Nokona, like the glove brand but for an AAU team. I worked with him a lot through high school and I actually joined their team for summer ball for two years. I think that helped me a lot. Working with him has helped me a lot. And then also my pitching coach at school. His name’s Justin Kelly. He was a very big help in my career.

CPB – Not to be confused with the Justin Kelly (2022-2024 C’s pitcher).

AA – Yeah. Not to be confused to be confused with the Justin Kelly. Also my two high school coaches. This wasn’t just me, so a lot of help along the way.

CPB – When you look back at your time at UMass-Boston, part of the Little East Conference, what was the level of play like there?

AA – You know, for Division III, it was a really good conference. I mean, my final year at school. In 2022, we played Eastern Connecticut State in our conference. They lost three games all year and ended up winning the national title. Our conference is historically good. It was definitely a little nerve-wracking going in there at first, especially my school coming off a good year the year before. I just wanted to be able to compete at that high level that they’re looking for. I think I did a pretty good job of that. It was a lot of fun there. We had a really good group. My three years there, a lot of fun times on and off the field. I miss it but I’m in a better spot now.

CPB – You wind up with the Blue Jays. Obviously you were hoping to get drafted but I guess it was a pretty quick process once the draft was over and that Pete Holmes got in touch with you right away?

AA – Yeah. I was down on the Cape playing in the Cape Cod League and so on the third day of the draft, I was very overwhelmed because I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t have my agent at the time, so I was going through it myself. My family was at home so it was just me. I got a call in the morning from him, just casual talk. And then once the draft ended, he gave me a call. When I say instantly, it felt like instantly. Once that last pick was in, he called me and it was honestly a very hard decision to make for me. He kind of gave me a little deadline. I think it might have been like a one-hour deadline. Somehow I managed to finagle my way to get to 10 hours later until I made my decision. Because I was torn between staying at school and coming back or deciding to come play pro ball but I definitely think I made the best decision to come here and play here.

CPB – The fact that you got to pitch in the Cape Cod League, that’s really considered the premier collegiate league in the summertime. What was your experience like there?That had to give you confidence that you’re good enough to hang there.

AA – Yeah, that was a really cool experience. You know, growing up, I heard about that all the time at Massachusetts. That’s another thing that I never really thought I would play in but I did. And I’m so happy that I did because that was one of the best summers of my life down there. My host family helped make that an experience to remember. And then also just playing against those high-level D-1 guys. Another thing being from D-3, you don’t face those guys. So facing them and doing pretty well definitely boosted the confidence a lot so I think that helps.

CPB – As far as your style of pitching, how would you describe yourself as a pitcher if you had to give a scouting report of yourself?

AA – That’s a good question. Definitely a competitor. Every time I go out there, I’m trying to perform to my best abilities. I know it’s not always going to seem that way because I keep my composure pretty well on the mound. That’s another thing. I’m pretty composed when I’m out there but I am always trying to attack these hitters to the best of my abilities. I’m not scared of them. I think that’s a big thing that I’ve adjusted to from last year to this year is the fear factor. Coming from D-3 to pro ball, I’m not scared of them. And I told myself this year that I’m not going to be scared of anyone who’s in the box from now on. I would say composed, competitive and not scared.

CPB – Talk about the pitches you are throwing right now, what is it that you do throw?

AA – I throw a four-seam fastball that should be around 93 to 95 (miles per hour) but right now it’s down a little bit, just mid-season stuff. I throw a 12-6 knuckle curve. I throw a nice little power slider that should be around 86, just with sharp late break. I would say that’s my best pitch right now. I also throw a change-up, which in college was my best pitch but right now, I don’t really have the feel for it. I don’t know what happened but we’ll get back to it.

CPB – The knuckle curve. Did you learn that on your own or did somebody teach you that?

AA – My pitching coach, the one from my old AAU team, actually taught me that. It took me a long time to get a feel for it. But once I got to pro ball, I kind of locked it in. And it’s been a great addition to use a lot more.

CPB – Have you ever tried throwing a knuckle ball itself?

AA – I have, yeah. Honestly, I’ve played catch with a knuckle ball a lot during catch-play before games. It’s just fun. I definitely don’t want to do that full-time. We have a couple teammates down in Dunedin that throw some and you can see just how hard it is. I definitely don’t want to do that but it’s definitely fun to throw.

CPB – And the slider, anyone teach you that?

AA – My pitching coach on the Cape actually taught me that one. His name’s Jim Lawler. He taught me that on the Cape. It worked really well for me on the Cape but I wasn’t throwing it as hard. And so when I got here, they kind of changed stuff again. I tried a sweeper and all that but I got back to it this offseason. And it’s been my best pitch so far so I’m happy I got back to it.

CPB – The changeup, split or circle?

AA – The circle change. So three fingers really on the ball and then a circle. I just try to throw that as hard as I can but like I said, I just kind of lost some feel for it. It’s not moving the way I want it to right now but we’ll get back to it.

CPB – You started off with the Dunedin Blue Jays. What was your first pro experience like with Dunedin?

AA – Last year was definitely an experience. From Massachusetts, always used to playing in the cold to going down to Dunedin last year, it was 92 degrees but it felt like 102 degrees. So that was definitely something to get used to. And playing in those big league spring training fields was pretty cool. We had a good group down there too. A lot of them got called up here last year. It was a fun year. We didn’t play the best, but we definitely had a good group of guys and a good coaching staff to be a part of. It was a lot of fun and like I said, I was a lot more nervous last year facing these guys. I think that was just a learning experience from last year. When I’m not scared, I pitch a lot better. And last year when I was scared, I could tell stuff goes wrong and stuff like that so last year was definitely a big learning experience.

CPB – You had a stint on the injured list but it was nothing too major, I guess?

AA – Just a little scap (scapula) flare up. That was something new to me because I never had any arm injuries like that until I got here. It was something little but definitely this year I’m trying to stay as healthy as I can. I don’t want to go back on rehab. I’m going to do my best to stay healthy and compete for the team.

CPB – You’re here now with Vancouver. Have you noticed a huge difference from the Florida State League to the Northwest League?

AA – Yeah, a big difference. I mean, the first part of it is the fans. Dunedin would have mostly family and friends. Other than that, there’d be about 20 people in the stands probably in due part to the heat. But here, we had 5,000 people on a Tuesday night so that’s a lot better coming out here and having a supportivel fan base and that gives you that adrenaline, the push that you need.

CPB – What’s it like pitching here at Nat Bailey Stadium?

AA – I mean, it’s a lot of fun. Like I said, the fans help. I love the old classic ballpark look and stuff like that. You sit in the bullpen. You look off and see the mountains in the distance. I mean, that’s something I’ve never seen before. It’s my first year here so I’ve never seen mountains before this. And I think that’s a really, really cool thing about this city. It’s just mountains, beach, and city, and some forests all in one. It’s pretty cool.

CPB – When you’re away from the ballpark, is there anything you like to do to unwind?

AA – Yeah, me and a lot of the guys sometimes will go take a hike on some of these trails. Like the Lynn Canyon we went to. We’ll go check out a lot of different restaurants. Just go walk around downtown. Like I said, we went to a Canucks game so that was a lot of fun. We try to find new stuff to do every day.

CPB – What’s it like getting used to a six-game a week schedule? It’s quite a bit different from college where you may have three, maybe four games a week. But what’s that difference been like?

AA – That’s the hardest part, I would say, is trying to control your workload. When you’re on the field, you just want to do stuff. And sometimes what you’re doing is maybe a little bit too much. So just finding that perfect balance between there. Like you said, in college, we would have practice and then maybe a game, practice more, and then games a little later in the week. So definitely having games every day with practice before that has been difficult. It’s a little exhausting but it’s something you got to get used to and push through to get better.

CPB – The transition to the bullpen, how’s that been? Do you prefer the bullpen or would you prefer to start?

AA – I would prefer to start, just because that’s all I’ve done growing up. I was always a starter. It just helps me get into a routine better. I feel better physically and stuff. But I’m going to do whatever they want me to do just so that way I can get to where I want to be. And so it’s just been a little challenging getting into that routine of coming out of the bullpen. Making sure my body feels right so that’s definitely been a challenge but like I said, I’ll do whatever they want me to do.

CPB – Favourite Major League team or player?

AA – Growing up, my favorite Major League team was the Red Sox. I loved watching Dustin Pedroia play when I grew up. Growing up, I was always a shorter guy. I didn’t really hit my growth spurt until college. But I loved watching him and David Ortiz. I loved watching Clay Buchholz, and all those pitchers. So definitely the Red Sox.

CPB – Final question. The Canadians have five uniforms—red, black, white, blue and gray, do you have a favourite?

AA – My favourite one is definitely the red. I think the red is a very clean, classic look. For the road, I like the gray as the best too. I think the red and gray are my two favourites.

Alex Amalfi File

Born – February 18, 2001
Hometown – Ashland, Massachusetts
Height/Weight – 6-foot-1, 185 pounds
Bats/Throws – Right/Right
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 11 with University of Massachusetts-Boston. Wore number 43 in 2022 and number 15 with Dunedin in 2023.
Mound Music – “Live Your Life” by T.I. (feat. Rihanna)
Instagram – @alexamalfi_
Twitter – @alexamalfi_