Admittedly, there is a lot to learn now that he’s playing for pay, but the scouting report on the Orlando, Florida native includes a solid work ethic and a high baseball IQ.
“The good thing about it is you can have a bad game you come out and play the next day,” Okey said. “The process of playing every day is probably the toughest thing to get used to.”
In the minor leagues there is always somebody ahead of you somewhere in the system, but the Reds have stocked the Dragons roster with two serious prospects behind the plate — Okey, a second-round pick this year and Tyler Stephenson, who was Cincinnati’s first round pick last year.
“It’s what makes it fun,” said Okey, who went 0-for-3 on Friday in his Dragons debut. “We all have the same goal in mind. I know I have a very talented catcher in front of me and I’m looking forward to working with him and learning from him.”
Okey had a couple of older brothers to teach him the game growing up, and like a lot of guys who end up as a catcher, it was more out of necessity than anything else.
“I think when I was younger no one else wanted to be the catcher and I was dumb enough to do it,” Okey said. “It’s been awesome and it got me here so I wouldn’t change a thing.”
He collected his first hit since joining the Dragons on Saturday night in a 3-2 loss to West Michigan. He had a two-out double in the fourth inning, and then drove in a run with a bases-loaded ground out in the sixth inning.
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