Rainiers outfielder John Andreoli: Tacoma’s international star and batting workaholic

There are seven players in the Mariners organization who can say they’ve played in the World Baseball Classic. There’s Robinson Cano, Jean Segura, Nelson Cruz, Edwin Diaz, Felix Hernandez, and Alex Colome.

Oh, and John Andreoli.

For the others, national duty came as a result of big league exposure, but for Andreoli, it pretty much went the other way. In 2017, Andreoli, then still in the Cubs organization, got an email from the Italian National team. Four games, a major walk-off upset, and three home runs later, he had helped make a name for himself.

“It was awesome, just because of the intensity level,” Andreoli said. “It was definitely really beneficial to my career and development.”

Seventeen months after the World Baseball Classic, Andreoli is in a new organization. He’s on a major-league 40-man roster, with his first MLB hit ball safely stored away in his house. But the Tacoma outfielder still has the same mentality he’s always had.

“We call him a veteran guy,” Rainiers manager Pat Listach said. “He’s a grinder, he works, he’s a pro. What else can you say?”

Just look at his pregame hitting routine. Andreoli has a habit of sneaking in an extra swing or a rotation during batting practice. While his teammates crash in the clubhouse afterwards, grabbing a snack and getting a card game or two in, he usually finds his way back to the batting cage for even more swings.

“I’ve always been a guy who wants to get a certain amount of swings so I feel prepared for the game,” Andreoli said. “It’s just my makeup. I probably do it a little bit too much sometimes, but I enjoy it, and I feel like it gets me prepared to play the game, so that’s where I usually am.”

His hardworking, get-as-many-reps-as-possible persona has become a bit of a running joke in the Tacoma locker room, where his teammates may — at least jokingly — say “a little bit too much” is accurate.

Before one game in June, hitting coach David Berg printed out a sheet with new batting practice groups — four groups of five, with “Andreoli” listed on every space. The morning of Tacoma’s final game of its previous homestand, his teammates printed out 50 posters with his picture superimposed on a colorful background, framed by the words “Party at Johnny’s.”

They can laugh. It’s worked for him so far, from the minors to the big leagues to the WBC.

Andreoli, who was born in Massachusetts but has three Italian grandparents, heard from the Italian national organization in January of 2017, beginning a whirlwind of a spring. After reporting to spring training for the Cubs, he spent a week and a half in Mesa, Arizona, before joining the rest of the Italy team.

“We had seven days of exhibition games and practices,” Andreoli said. “So it was definitely weird the first two days, but I feel like everyone was open and welcoming. The guys that played in 2013 who were still there kind of helped us out with what to expect, and understood how you have to gel quick as a team.”

Just like that, the team was on a plane to Guadalajara, Mexico, for group play; opening with a matchup against Mexico. Andreoli got his international career started in a big way, homering in his first at-bat, and nine innings later, he capped off a five-run ninth with a walk-off single.

Three losses later, Italy was out of the WBC. But Andreoli had stamped himself as one of the breakout stars of the tournament with a .316 batting average and three home runs, tied for the best in the competition after the first round.

A year later, Andreoli still hadn’t managed to get his first ever call-up. So as a free agent, he explored his options, finally landing with the Mariners and Tacoma.

Now, Andreoli is a constant contributor in the Tacoma lineup, batting .279 with 35 RBIs. As importantly, he’s had three quick stints in Seattle, collecting his first career hit against Oakland on May 23.

“It was incredible, a dream come true,” Andreoli said. “All of the ups and downs of my career, I had a couple times I had overcome adversity, some injuries and big-time slumps, it was all worth it.”

Now, Andreoli has two main goals. He’s trying to get back up to the big leagues, this time long-term. And he’s trying to visit Italy for the first time.

That’s right: The star of the Italian baseball team has never actually been to Italy.

“We tried to plan a trip as a team, but it didn’t end up working out,” Andreoli said. “Hopefully either this offseason or most likely the next, I’m going to try to go over there.”