Parra proving to be valuable mentor for Soto and Robles

CINCINNATI - It was a great scene caught by the MASN cameras during the Atlanta series at SunTrust Park earlier this week. Eleven-year veteran Gerardo Parra was seen sitting on the top bench of the visitors dugout during the Nationals' matchup with the Braves, having a conversation with second-year outfielder Juan Soto.

Parra has gladly taken on the responsibility of mentoring Latin teammates Soto and Victor Robles: talking baseball, their young lives in the game, and focusing on outfield defense and strategy on the field.

After all, Parra knows a ton on the subject.

Nationals manager Davey Martinez, a former big league outfielder himself, saw a great opportunity for the mentorship to take place when general manager Mike Rizzo told him the second week of May that the Nats had agreed to a deal with the two-time Gold Glove winner.

"When we signed Parra, I had a conversation with him about our young Latin players and how talented they are, but they are still learning," Martinez said. "He could be a mentor and a teacher. He's done that since he's been here. He's been an unbelievable mentor. The way they interact together, he's got this lighter, kind of fun way to go about things."

Parra has turned out be an outstanding influence on Soto, 20, and Robles, 22.

"(Parra) gets on them about backing up bases, just the little things in the outfield, situational hitting, stuff like that.," Martinez said. "Parra has been around a long time. He's been a really good player and still is a very good player. He understands the game and he's just trying to teach them what he knows as a veteran guy. He feels like that can help them."

Soto and Robles knew from the first few days working with Parra that the veteran was looking out for them.

"It's really nice. Since he get here, he just try to help me," Soto said. "Not just me, everybody. He bring a lot of energy to the team. Since the first day, he has fun every time. No matter if he play or not, he just try to bring energy every day. When he get here, he just tried to help me. He tells me about the outfield and I like that because he is a guy that has (two) Gold Gloves, so I'm going to get everything he got for me."

"He has been great, a great help for us," Robles said via interpreter Octavio Martinez. "He has obviously won Gold Gloves and he's been a great offensive player in his career. He's helped us with little tips he can give us. He's a great human being and a great teammate so he's been a great asset to the team."

Parra had seen a little bit and heard what Soto and Robles could do on the field prior to his arrival in D.C. But watching them play up close and being on the same field with them gave him a better perspective of just how good they are as a duo and their unlimited potential.

"These guys are amazing talents. These two guys are like superstars," Parra said of Soto and Robles. "I try to talk to (Soto) to play the best role, what line to defend, where to set up before the situation.

"But these guys are amazing. They are working hard. It is good when you have a good player and they try to hear you and try to every day work out (to get) better. I am happy to be here to play baseball next to these guys."

Parra focused on several techniques for outfield defense with Soto and Robles. For Soto, it was concentrating on his first step after a fly ball. For Robles, it was a focus on using his powerful throwing ability from the outfield to get runners' attention.

"He gave me a couple things that I think are going to help me if I get a long career, with God," Soto said. "He told me a couple things about my first hard step and throwing, too, that I think will be good, from the outfield to get the ball quicker and then throw quicker, too, to the infield."

Parra said he gave Soto tips on which base to throw to and importance of getting the ball to the cutoff man.

"Yeah, we are working on that every day," Parra said. "I try to teach him how to bring the ball in fast to the cutoff because we know on the bases right now everybody is fast. We (practice) this in the outfield. He's working every day. He feels better. He feels happy. That is a good (sign). These guys feel more comfortable in the outfield."

Martinez said they have worked on Soto's pre-pitch set up in left field. He called it being "in and out of the circle," a term he learned from working with legendary center fielder Jimmy Piersall, who coached the Chicago outfielders in 1986-1988 while Martinez played for the Cubs.

"He's making a lot of progress. We talked about that with him," Martinez said. I learned about getting 'in and out of your circle'. When you're in your circle, a guy fouls a ball off or in between pitches, then you can relax outside of the circle. You don't stay in that same spot. Then as the pitcher makes his pitch you get back in your circle, you're engaged and ready, and that first step is always the key.

"We worked with him and Parra has reiterated with him, hey, you take that first step and if you got to go - actually it's the first three steps - where you just put your head down and go, and then you pick up the ball (in the air).

"He's done a lot better with that. I've watched him, especially balls over his head, where he's actually put his head down, ran, and then looked for the ball and actually hasn't drifted as much as he did in the past."

Soto demonstrated his improvement Saturday by getting the correct jump on a well-hit ball by Joey Votto in the seventh inning. Soto raced to his left to track the long fly ball down and caught it up to the ball just as he collided against the left field wall.

Robles had a similar experience with Parra sharing some valuable in-game pointers about playing center field.

"He has guided me a little bit on the defensive side," Robles said of Parra's influence. "He tells me I'm a tremendous ball player and there's a lot of ability in me and to take advantage of it. In terms of the throws he tells me to utilize my arm more, show the runners I have a strong arm. That will help showcase a little bit, so they don't run as much on me. He's definitely been very helpful."

Parra said it is also not a one-way conversation with him and Soto. The Dominican product asks questions too.

"He asks me a lot about baseball," Parra said Soto. "I tell him every time: Put it in your mind to play hard, keep working hard and be happy. This guy is humble. I think Soto and this team are humble. If you have the mentality to keep working to get better, you're better all the time."

Soto said Parra understands what it is to be a Latino player far from home and the pressures a player in a new country goes through, especially at a young age, regardless of the level of talent brought to the table.

"I have been talking to him," Soto said of discussions with Parra. "He has been telling me how we know about baseball on the Latin side. He tells me you got be smart, be respectful, like I have been. He always try to find something to help me."

Parra said he remembers the days when he arrived in the major leagues and some of the players that helped him along the way.

"(Nats bullpen coach) Henry Blanco, Cody Ross, Miguel Montero, Martin Prado, Scott Coolbaugh - a lot of guys helped me like I try to help these guys right now."

Besides Piersall, Martinez smiled when he thought about some of the players that mentored him in his first few seasons: "Gary Matthews, Jerry Mumphrey, Keith Moreland - I could go on and on. It was always nice to sit back and (know) they knew when you struggled. They knew when to come over and pat you on the back and say, 'hey, we've all been there. It's OK. Don't worry about it. Here we go.' It's kind of nice to have those guys on your side."

That knowledge and advice learned in their baseball careers is what Parra and Martinez now pass along to Soto and Robles.