C’s Chat – 2024 Vancouver Canadians C #27 Alex Stone – C's Plus Baseball

The latest C’s Chat is with 2024 Vancouver Canadians catcher Alex Stone.

The Morristown, New Jersey native was a highly-touted backstop in the Garden State. He batted .519 in his sophomore season at Newton High School in Andover and earned first-team all-county and all-state honours. Stone was rated the second-best catcher and ninth-best prospect in New Jersey according to Perfect Game USA for the 2020 MLB Draft. He did receive interest from MLB teams but he was set on going to Duke University, a commitment he made before playing for the Newton Braves.

After playing just 10 games in his freshman season of 2021 with the Blue Devils, Stone got more playing time in summer college ball with the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Coastal Plain League, where he batted .250 with a home run and 11 runs batted in over 27 games.

Stone’s power began to emerge in his sophomore season at Duke in 2022 when he slugged .538 in 40 games in which he hit a team-best 10 home runs and seven doubles. Another summer college ball season followed as he joined the Danbury Westerners of the New England Collegiate League where he had seven doubles, two homers and 10 RBI in 20 games.

The 2023 season saw Stone take another jump with his performance as he put together a 30-game hitting streak and got on base safely in 36 straight games. He slashed .315/.379/.579 with 16 doubles, 17 homers and 62 RBI.

In 2024, Stone put together another banner campaign by hitting .312/.365/.547 with 19 doubles, 13 dingers and 59 ribbies. He was a semi-finalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, an Atlantic Coast Conference second-team catcher and an ACC All-Tournament team selection. Stone helped the Blue Devils win the regular season conference title by beating number-10 ranked Florida State.

Baseball America rated Stone as the 440th-best prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft but his name was never called. However, the Toronto Blue Jays would sign Stone as a free agent on July 23. He was assigned to Vancouver where he began on the Development List. His first professional game came on August 18 at Spokane in which he had an RBI single in just his second at-bat and later drove in the winning run with a two-run double. His home debut came on August 21 against Everett where he singled and scored his professional run. Stone contributed a single and was hit by a pitch against the AquaSox on August 22.

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C’s Plus Baseball chatted with the 22-year-old Stone during the team’s homestand against Eugene, just before his activation from the Development List. This interview has been edited for clarity.

C’s Plus Baseball – How did you wind up with the Blue Jays organization?

Alex Stone – I was a free agent sign. I got that call, you know, it was a dream come true. I spent a week at draft camp and then they’re sending me out here. Just super excited. I think my favourite part so far has just been meeting all the new guys and just kind of learning off them and really enjoying Vancouver so far.

CPB – Who got a hold of you from the Blue Jays? Do you remember how that conversation took place and what you were doing when it was all going down?

AS – Yeah, it was just the area scout. I was just kind of sitting in my bedroom just watching TV. And he just gave me a call, and he was like, ‘Hey, man, we’re going to sign you.’ And, you know, my face lit up. My Dad was upstairs at the time. So I yelled to my Dad, and I was like, ‘Hey, they’re going to sign me.’ And he was all excited so it was an awesome moment.

CPB – It might have been the furthest thing from your mind joining the Blue Jays, being from the States but getting to join Canada’s only team, what does that mean to you?

AS – It’s awesome. The first thing you realize when you show up at the field is just all the fans. It’s an unbelievable experience having all the fans in the stands and just having a bunch of people who really care about the baseball team. It just makes it super enjoyable to play.

CPB – How did you got started in baseball? I know you went to Duke but take us through a timeline of how you got started in baseball and when you started catching.

AS – I’ve kind of always played baseball ever since I could walk, throwing it around, hitting the baseball around the front yard. I kind of started catching when I was like eight or nine. I just kind of liked being in every play and just kind of enjoyed calling the pitches and throwing guys out. It really kind of picked up through high school and throughout college, it became my primary position and I love it back there.

CPB – What would you say has been your best moment so far in your career?

AS – Definitely in college winning the ACC championship this year. I didn’t travel my freshman year of college and they won the ACC tournament and it was just kind of one of my goals to win one myself so it was kind of an awesome experience with those guys that I spent four years with there and just a super special moment.

CPB – How did you wind up with Duke? Did you get interest from other places or was Duke just the place you wanted to go to?

AS – Duke was definitely my dream school ever since I was a kid. I went to a couple of camps there and Coach Pollard (Chris Pollard) offered me a scholarship. It was just my dream school and where I wanted to be, and I love the people there.

CPB – How did Duke help you develop as a player?

AS – A ton. Our coaching staff is awesome, but I think more so as a person, just being able to experience hard things and having them kind of not helping you through it but they’re there if you need them. Just a super supportive group. I couldn’t have wished for anything more.

CPB – Who would you say has helped you out the most in your career?

AS – I’m going to say my hitting and catching coach at Duke, Eric Tyler. I started working with him my sophomore year and we just kind of hit it off and we were kind of friends before we are player and coach. He’s always been there for me. I’ll still call him up and be like, ‘Hey, I’m working on this. What do you think?’ Stuff like that and he’s just he’s always been there for me and I can’t thank him enough for that.

CPB – Playing at one of the power conferences and the big rivalry of course with North Carolina. What was that like to test yourself out against major competition like that?

AS – It was unbelievable. The ACC the last couple of years has been really, really good. And being able to face guys like (Wake Forest Demon Deacon and 2024 2nd overall pick by Cincinnati) Chase Burns this past year and guys like that, it’s kind of awesome to see where you’re at and it really kind of exposes what you need to work on. I think it’s just prepared me for the future.

CPB – In college, did you call any of your games when you were catching?

AS – Our pitching coach, who was an unbelievable pitch caller, did all of that but I’d call my games in summer ball and stuff like that . I feel super prepared and I think I’m an intelligent baseball player and intelligent human being so I love going through all the scouting reports and all that kind of stuff and digging into it. But at the end of the day, it comes down to the guy on the mound and what he’s really good at, you know? Hitting is hard enough so if we just go off with that guy’s stuff is, what he has that day and what he has in general, we’re going to be just fine.

CPB – Right now you’re on the Development List. I know you’re anxious to get going and see some playing time. But taking in the game from the dugout right now, what have you noticed about professional baseball so far?

AS – It’s kind of your own thing which I kind of like because I was a four-year guy at Duke, so being an older guy, I feel like I know what I need and I know what I want. I’m just kind of grateful for the coaches here. If I want to work on something catching or work on something hitting, they’re here for me. Even though I’ve been on the bench for these last couple games, I’ve enjoyed it and just learning off guys and learning what pro baseball is like.

AS – You racked up a number of awards this past year. You were a semi-finalist for the Buster Posey award. How did you feel to got recognition for that?

AS – It’s obviously really nice getting that and just being recognized for all the work you put in. You obviously have to enjoy it but there’s still work that has to be done and you kind of just take it and you obviously want to celebrate your successes and do that, but you can’t get too low. So I just try and stay kind of in the middle, enjoy the moments where I do well, and just lean into the ones where maybe I’m not doing so well and just keep going forward.

CPB – I read something in your college bio about you coaching basketball. How did you get into that?

AS – Technically it was my Dad’s team but I was in high school at the time and my brother was playing. They’d go out every Sunday, they’d play in the mornings and I’d go out there and run practices, get out there and run out with those guys. And just kind of be there for my brother. It was a lot of fun.

CPB – If you had to give a scouting report of yourself as a player, how would you describe yourself?

AS – I’m a power-hitting catcher, a winner and a guy who’s going to be the same guy every day, bring the same energy and just be really good to be around.

CPB – What’s your game plan when you step into the batter’s box? I know it’s scouting reports and what a guy throws but what do you kind of fall back on when you step up to the plate?

AS – I like to keep it really simple. Just be on the fastball and see the pop of a curveball or a slider up in the zone and pull a trigger on that. But, yeah, pretty much I like to be simple at the plate and behind the plate. Just trying to be on the heater.

CPB – I’m sure you had a chance to see the Player Development Complex and all the bells and whistles. Is there anything that stood out to you?

AS – Yeah, if you want any numbers on anything, they definitely have them. I kind of like to know what they mean and know how they can be applied. But for the most part, when I’m out there, I’m just trying to play. I’m not a huge analytics guy but I like to know what they mean. And with (pitchers) with ride or sink and stuff like that, it gives you an idea of what the guy’s profile can be but I don’t like to dig too deep into it.

CPB – When you take batting practice here, you kind of see how the park plays but what are your impressions of trying to hit in this ballpark?

AS – It’s not too bad. When the wind’s blowing in, it can be kind of tough to get it out but pretty straight up you know? The gaps can be a little deep but yeah.

CPB – Did you have a favourite major league team growing up or a favourite player?

AS – Yeah, I was a Yankees fan. My favourite player was Derek Jeter.

CPB – Finally, the Canadians have five different jerseys—white, red, black, blue or gray, do you have a favourite?

AS – I like the blue ones, I like the red, white, and blue look. Following that, I like the white, pretty clean look.

Alex Stone File

Born – November 3, 2001 in Morristown, New Jersey.
Height/Weight – 6-foot-5, 235 pounds
Bats/Throws – Right/Right
Instagram – @_alexstone_
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 5 with Duke University from 2021-2024.
Walkup Music – “Welcome to the Show” by Cody Johnson.
Professional debut – Catcher at Spokane August 18
1st Professional Hit – Single at Spokane August 18
Fun Fact – Stone is the third Duke Blue Devils to play for the Vancouver Canadians in the Toronto Blue Jays affiliation era. Pitcher Marcus Stroman (2012) and outfielder Griffin Conine (2018) were the others.