NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 19, 2023

Bryson Stott

Chase Field

Philadelphia Phillies

Pregame 3 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Bryson Stott.

Q. Bryson, going up 3-0 can be a lot different than just being up 2-1, so what's the mindset in terms of keeping your foot on the gas against this team?

BRYSON STOTT: Yeah, just take it one pitch at a time, one inning at a time, and play our game and take good at-bats and have our pitchers go out there and do what they've been doing and make the plays behind them. Then I think we'll like where we are at the end of the night.

Q. What do you think it does to a pitcher starting off a game with the power threat of Kyle Schwarber and then what Trea Turner right now is doing getting on base and how that helps the rest of the lineup get going?

BRYSON STOTT: Yeah, any time it's 1-0, it's a big jolt to the dugout. It's a big jolt to our pitching staff. I mean, I'm no pitcher, but I feel like you don't really want to look down and see Kyle Schwarber walking up to lead off a game. There's a couple of other guys around the league that I feel like it's the same way.

I feel like it has to do something. I don't really know what it does. I can't speak for the opposing pitcher. Some guys might not care. Some guys might be scared or whatever. But I feel like he gives good at-bats more than not, especially leading off the game. So it's a big jolt to the dugout for sure.

Q. When Harper was learning first base, you obviously are the closest infielder to him. What did you see in terms of how quickly he adapted and what impressed you about sort of that learning process to be able to be a viable MLB first baseman?

BRYSON STOTT: I think he got with Bobby pretty early, and he wants to be good over there because he knows that there's three, four other guys that are going to throw him the ball, and he wants to be the best he can be.

He worked really hard at it. He understood how hard it was and how much responsibility goes on over there and cut-offs and little things that -- I don't think a lot of people realize how hard first base actually is. So during the rehab process, I was out there every day and kind of letting him know, this is probably the line that you shouldn't cross over because I'll be standing right there, and you need to get it back to the base.

Just little things that I don't think people really understand about first base. And like I said, he's wanting to be really good at it, and he knew that it would help the team out. He got to work right away, and him and Bobby are putting in a lot of hours too to go over there and make sure that he's able to do that, so...

Q. So your guys' friendship and relationship is well-documented and you both wound up here. But when Bryce was coming through Washington as a superstar, did you always sort of wonder or did you ever ask him, like, where is he going to end up? Where is this going to lead in his career?

BRYSON STOTT: Not directly like, hey, where are you signing, we want the inside info. But me and two of our other friends that we're really close with, we kicked Bryce out of the group message and were predicting where we thought he might land. I think everybody was wrong.

So, I mean, he loves it here. I wish I did a little more research myself, and I think I might have been able to pinpoint something that sticks out to him. He's a big family guy, as you guys know, and he treats the City of Philadelphia like his own family. I think they treat him the same way. That's a big thing for him and, like I said, he loves it here.

If I knew the City of Philadelphia when I was making my prediction, I think that knowing how big of a family guy he is, I think this was a no-brainer.

Q. This wasn't my question, but what was your prediction for Bryce?

BRYSON STOTT: I think I said -- I think I went out on a limb and said the White Sox. Yeah, I was way off. I wasn't even a finalist, so yeah, I was way off.

Q. My question, kind of curious, I'm not sure where to go with this, but the energy in Philadelphia is well-documented. It's amazing with the fans. I know in the playoffs everywhere it's probably pretty good, but when you go on the road a little bit, does it feel different? Do you have to find that adrenaline in a different way when you get away from Citizens Bank?

BRYSON STOTT: I think in a little way. There's still a ton of people that are going to be here, and at home they're there two hours before the game. I mean, you could hear them cheering on Nola and Wheeler as they're walking to the bullpen from in the tunnels.

We kind of get that jolt right away. 40 minutes for Nola before the game, they're letting him hear it. It's the postseason. I mean, if you can't get up for these games, then there's a serious issue. I think we on the road do a really good job of creating our own energy in the dugout and just playing our game and having the good vibes that we always do.

Q. What was your reaction to being a Gold Glove finalist, and was that kind of a goal you set for yourself when you moved over to second base?

BRYSON STOTT: I mean, I think it's pretty cool. Just kind of looking at stuff with Bobby Dickerson and some stuff that he thinks might go into voting and what not, he thinks I have a pretty good shot at it.

It's not a trophy that I'd want. Obviously it would be cool, but I think this team has eyes on bigger trophies and team-oriented stuff. Obviously, it's cool to get an individual one, but like I said, that's not the trophy that I particularly want right now. I mean, the three other guys are very well-deserving. I think they would tell you the same thing.

It's a lot of team-oriented stuff right now and just going out and playing our game, so...

Q. I wonder what you think some of the adjustments were for you moving over to second. And you say it's an individual award, but you kind of made that move, in part, for the team. I wonder if that adds to some of the satisfaction of being a finalist?

BRYSON STOTT: Going over from short to second, at short it was a lot of -- I fielded a lot of balls one-handed. Bobby is a huge, if you field the ball on the run, don't set your feet and throw. That's when a lot of throwing errors actually happen. I mean, a lot of I wouldn't say -- I don't know how to say it -- people watching, they might say, set your feet, you had time.

He has been doing it a long time, and he says that's when he sees the most errors because you are at a full sprint, and you are trying to stop on a dime and throw the ball across the infield instead of just running through the catch and making the throw on the run.

So at second you don't need to do that as much. You're not charging as many balls unless they hit it 40 miles an hour, and it's a lot of two-handed stuff. Double plays are two-handed. The relays are two-handed. You back up a lot more bases at second than you would do at short. You are usually covering a base at short rather than going to back up a bunt or something like that.

So really using two hands was the biggest thing for me. Yeah, I love it over there.

Q. The other day Trea Turner said Nick Castellanos is a different guy. What has he brought to the clubhouse? I don't know if it's a swagger, you know, in the hitting. What has he brought to the clubhouse for you guys?

BRYSON STOTT: A lot. I think he definitely has some swag to him. I feel like on the playing side, he's a lot more in control of his at-bats. I think he might be getting under some pitchers' skin not swinging at the slider that their report probably says this is the out pitch, and he is laying off them for the most part.

I think he's feeling confident. I mean, just the conversations that he brings to the clubhouse. It could be the most simple question and you'll get a ten-minute answer. Sometimes you're, like, okay, Nick, I just want to know the time, not why it's the time.

He's great, and I think everybody loves being around him. He kind of took Rojas under his wing and helped Rojas adjust to this, and it's been really good.

Q. What makes Bobby Dickerson such an effective coach and field coach?

BRYSON STOTT: I mean, he's from the South, and he's yelling, and my family is from the South, so I kind of am used to that. He'll yell at you, but he is coaching you. And then if you want to joke back with him, you can joke back with him.

Personally I've built a relationship with him. I know exactly when he's coaching me and being serious or when he's just messing with me. So I think it's the -- being able to do that and he played the game. He has been in the game. He knows how hard it is.

He just wants you to -- I mean, he'll never freak out if we miss a ball. He'll show you the iPad and show you what you did and what you could have done. Spring Training is a blast. You don't really say that very often, but just the kind of drills we do. And he tries to get out there and do it, but he says he's getting too old now to do it. So just messing with him and allowing him to coach us I think is big.

And he's a very respected person throughout the league. He's coached -- I mean, Machado is his guy. Came up with him through Baltimore and J.J. Hardy. So you just kind of look at his guys in the past and say, okay, I think he knows what he is doing over there. And just buying in and not fighting it, I think, is the biggest thing.

Just the way he gets his point across. Whether it's taking you on the side and letting you know or screaming in front of all the people watching in Clearwater, he does everything his own way. I think the infield has kind of bought into his way. It's not just his way or the highway. You can have the conversation, which I think helps as well.