Michael Young expressed his appreciation for a memorable moment in his career, recalling his first home run and the thrill of having legendary broadcaster Vin Scully call it. He emphasized the significance of the event, particularly with the support of friends and family present.

Regarding the pressures faced by young players like Wyatt Langford and Jack Leiter, Young acknowledged that he didn’t experience similar expectations when he entered the league, having been traded from Toronto. He recognized the weight of expectation on these players, especially considering their high draft positions and the spotlight on their performance.

Young highlighted the remarkable transition from collegiate athletics to the major leagues, particularly for someone like Langford, who was likely still competing in college tournaments just a year ago. 

Despite the challenges, Young expressed confidence that navigating through this initial pressure will ultimately benefit their development. He emphasized the importance of processing challenges effectively and gaining confidence in their abilities as they progress through their careers.

“I believe the most crucial aspect for any young player is maintaining unwavering confidence, regardless of circumstances. There’s a perpetual debate across all sports about what comes first: production or confidence. 

For me, it’s undoubtedly confidence. You have to ensure you hold onto your confidence, even during periods of low productivity. If you can do that, your teammates will notice, they’ll draw energy from it, and even your opponents will take note. By maintaining confidence, you position yourself to swiftly turn things around. But you must never let your confidence falter. It’s something you must carry with you every single day. If you can do that, you’ll be just fine.”

“As a veteran player, when dealing with a young player like Wyatt Langford, the key message is reminding them that it’s still the same game they’ve always played. But the crucial part is encouraging them to trust themselves and their abilities. They’ll inevitably face challenging stretches; it’s a part of the game. You can look across the league at many talented players or pitchers who are not having stellar starts to their seasons. It’s a common occurrence every year.”

So I think the biggest thing that you tell them, again, you have to maintain your confidence. And what you want to do is look at it as an opportunity. There’s a lot of players in this league that are really talented, they get in a rough stretch and they go the other direction. They can’t really stop the bad momentum. The really good ones see a slump or a tough start as an opportunity to show what they’re made of. That’s their chance to say ‘Okay, this is who I am.’

“Anyone can go out there when you’re on fire. They throw the white thing and you’re gonna stick it. Because you’re just hot. Anyone can hit like that, there are players in A-ball who can hit in the big leagues for a stretch. But when you’re struggling, that’s when you really see what guys are made of. So for me I’d tell those guys ‘Hey, it’s an opportunity to announce what you’re all about. This is baseball. Congratulations, you picked a really tough frickin’ sport.”