Spring Training is baseball’s best place for fans to discover what the next few years will look like for any given team. With top prospects and not-so-well-known farm hands getting the opportunity to prove themselves as well as showcase their talents on a daily basis, fans who pay close enough attention will undoubtedly have the chance to learn about a player not yet in the majors. Along with frequent displays of young talent on the diamond, fans also get the opportunity to have a glimpse into some of the off the field characteristics of any given player.

This past spring, Dodger’s pitching prospect Trevor Oaks had the opportunity to accomplish both of these things. Oaks pitched extremely well for the Dodgers and also shared his talent for the piano with the fans. I recently had the opportunity to talk to Trevor, the piano man, about his hopes for the current season, his upbringing in the sport, and of course, his history with the piano.

Dodgers Piano Man Trevor Oaks.
(Photo credit – Sergio Romo)

Oaks, who is just 24 years old, is currently playing in his fourth professional season. But, for Trevor, baseball has not always been a matter of going pro. In fact, up until his junior year in high school, baseball was just his way of being active and perhaps getting a ticket to college. But, once his junior season came, Oaks and his family realized that baseball might be something a little more serious given his level of talent. Trevor started to attend talent showcases and eventually committed to the California Baptist University located in his hometown of Riverside, California. From there, he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 amateur draft by the Dodgers. Since then, Oaks has seen a rapid climb through the minor leagues, hitting all levels in just three seasons.

While that was the story of his baseball past, it is time to talk about the history behind the piano. Unlike baseball, the piano was something that was actually forced on Trevor. When he was six years old, his parents insisted that he took the piano lessons that his elementary school was offering. After starting Trevor feels as though he was never “…truly sold on it”. He said that it was just not interesting to him until he began messing around with it and playing songs he enjoys playing instead of “…the classic stuff.” To this day, Trevor learns songs that interest him and through that he actually has found a release of sorts from the stresses of a baseball season. And, this past spring, he had the opportunity to show the team as well as just about every Dodger fan this skill. During a morning meeting, Oaks sat in front a piano in the Camelback Ranch clubhouse to showcase his talent.

Now back to baseball.

After discussing the fun things, I asked Trevor if he could name a few people who have been impactful in his career. His answer was a true testament to his very respectful character as it was a huge list of people, from coaches to teammates, that he has encountered in his short career. He even started with “…there are so many coaches,” and he was certainly not kidding. So, after telling me about the people who had impacted him, I asked him to pick his top three people, which was certainly a challenge for such an appreciative person.

The first on his list is former Dodgers minor league assistant pitching coordinator Rick Knapp, who now serves as International Pitching Coordinator for Major League Baseball. Trevor shared that Knapp played a huge part in forming the type of pitcher he is now and was a great help to him in years past. The Dodgers did not renew Knapp’s contract this year and he is no longer in the organization, but to Trevor he was his mentor.

The second person Trevor mentioned is his current pitching coach Matt Herges. “Herges is a great coach, but more than that he’s a friend,” Oaks said. “I can go to Herges about anything, baseball or not.”

Finally, Trevor shared with me the name of a current teammate who he thinks has an impact on his career. That person is recently acquired MLB veteran Justin Masterson, whose career has been mostly spent with the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher. This year, the Dodgers plan to develop the 32-year-old Kingston, Jamaica native into a reliever, where he can better utilize his ‘stuff.’ Trevor said that in the short time Justin has been with the team, he has become a good friend of his. He added that in addition to giving him great advice about pitching, Masterson is also a nice guy.

“I admire him admire him as a player but also as a person,” Oaks said.

Oaks didn’t just entertain the Dodgers brass on the piano, he also did so with his arm – including Vice President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos and Special Assistant of Player Personnel Aaron Sele. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Finally, I want to share the conversation we had about his goals for this year. The first goal seemed like the most obvious for any prospect and that is that he wants to contribute in some way on the major league team. But, while that is an important goal to have, and one that I personally think is very reasonable, it was the next thing few things that he said that really were great. Trevor is the first person I have talked to that shared a goal for his minor league team instead of a personal one or a goal for the majors.

“I want to win a PCL championship,” Oaks said emphatically. “We have some unfinished business from last season and I want to finish it”

Lastly, Oaks shared his most personal goal, something that should apply to any baseball player, especially those just starting their journey to the major leagues.

“Baseball is turning into a game of velo and spin rate and other crazy stats and that’s all fine,” Oaks said. “But I think it’s important for me to just stay true to myself and play the game like I know how. That biggest for me.”

Trevor was truly fantastic to talk to. His answers were honest and humble and they showed me – and hopefully those reading this – that he is destined for big things. And, for someone who also happens to be one of my personal favorites, I truly think he will be a star.