Cory Spangenberg has an eye.
The Eugene Emeralds’ second baseman has plenty of other exceptional qualities for a baseball player, but his pitch recognition skills stand out compared to the short-season Single-A Northwest League.
Through 18 games, his on-base percentage of .557 leads the league by more than 60 points over the closest player.
“He definitely has plate awareness: He understands the strike zone, he hasn’t gone out of the strike zone too many times, he’s very aggressive in the strike zone,” first-year Emeralds hitting coach Chris Prieto says. “Those are all qualities you want major league hitters to have. He possesses a lot of those skills early on, so it’s fun to watch.”
His .387 batting average ranks second in the Northwest League and his .548 slugging percentage ranks fourth. He’s reached base in every game the Emeralds have played, and had an eight-game hitting streak already this year.
“Just watching him hit, sometimes I’m in awe of what he does with the bat,” Emeralds outfielder Lee Orr says. “I’ve been watching him and trying to get little tips on something that can make me better.”
Spangenberg’s quality performances have also come in the clutch. His 17 RBI are  second-most in the league and his 16 runs are the most among any player.
Spangenberg’s most clutch moment as an Emerald is also his favorite. On June 29, the Emeralds — then on a seven-game winning streak — were trailing the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 2-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Spangenberg came to the plate with the bases loaded and laced a single to left field, scoring two runs and giving his team a walk-off 3-2 win to preserve its winning streak.
“That was a pretty cool moment to share with the team,” Spangenberg says.
After that game, first-year Emeralds manager Pat Murphy said, “I’m telling you, that kid — that kid has been unbelievable.”
On more than one occasion, Murphy has compared Spangenberg to Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, based on his position, ability and personality.
“He reminds me of another player I’ve coached that played just like that,” Murphy says. “Every pitch is important to him and he doesn’t take any pitches off; he doesn’t assume anything. He plays the pitch, and he’s a special kid.”
Given his performance so far this season and his status as the San Diego Padres’ 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, expectations are high for Spangenberg.
“Early on here, just seeing him in the amount of games we have, you can see something special in him,” Prieto says. “I’m thinking he’s a pretty special kid, a pretty special hitter.”
Spangenberg picked up baseball from his father, Ken, a high-school coach, and his older brother, Kenny, a coach at Division III Edgewood (Wisc.) College.
“I think he played T-ball for one or two games before they moved him up,” says Cory’s mother, Lynne. “Right from the beginning, you knew he was going to be special.”
Given Spangenberg’s potential, it’s clear people will keep their eyes on him for years to come.
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There’s no “I” in Cory Spangenberg.
As good as the Eugene Emeralds’ second baseman is on the field, one would never get that by talking with him.
“I’m just a player who plays every pitch like it was his last and just plays the game the right way,” Spangenberg says.
Spangenberg’s desire to be a baseball player was obvious when he signed his first contract with the San Diego Padres on June 10, just four days after the organization drafted him.
During predraft workouts, Spangenberg flew to San Diego, to Florida and to Milwaukee. According to his mother, he didn’t start packing until 11 p.m. the night before he took off, and his cleats and batting gloves were in tatters. He ended up having to use his brother’s gear for his workouts.
“He just doesn’t care about that stuff,” Spangenberg’s mother, Lynne Spangenberg, says. “Things don’t impress him.”
People questioned what Cory Spangenberg would do with his reported $1.86 million signing bonus, suggesting he should buy a car with the money. Instead, he’s driving around the old family car, a Honda Accord station wagon with rust on its back end.
“That’s why it’s really ironic that this whole baseball thing is going to happen,” Lynne Spangenberg says. “People are going to give things to him; he’s going to have really nice things.”
Major League Baseball had invited Spangenberg to attend the draft, which was held in Secaucus, N.J. Instead, Spangenberg declined, instead choosing to spend the day with his family.
“The kids he played baseball with and the coaches had a party, but he didn’t want to be anywhere else but with his family,” Lynne Spangenberg says. “They’re just happy for him because of the kind of kid he is.”
Though he is family-oriented and puts so much of himself into baseball, Cory Spangenberg spends a lot of time keeping the clubhouse atmosphere loose.
“He is kind of soft-spoken, but you can tell he cares about the game and is a hard-worker,” Emeralds hitting coach Chris Prieto says. “He’s a fun-loving kid. Guys love to be around him.”
Emeralds outfielder Lee Orr was immediately drawn to Spangenberg’s personality, saying they both enjoy joking around.
“Pretty much all day is a shenanigan, playing jokes on each other,” Orr says.
Spangenberg and Orr have been sneaking up behind each other in the dugout during games and untucking one another’s jerseys.
“I did it to him the other day, I think he was 0 for 2 in his first at-bats, and I went up there as he was going to the plate and yanked his jersey out and made him laugh about it,” Orr says. “And he goes up there and yanks a double off the wall.”
Spangenberg’s on-field accomplishments would be worthy of a parent’s pride, but that’s not the primary thing for his mother.
“I’m most proud of the way he lives his life,” Lynne Spangenberg says. “I’m really proud of the person he’s become.”
Given Cory Spangenberg’s personality, it’s clear people’s eyes should stay on him for years to come.