Even for a catcher, it's hard to hit .235 over a full season and make a case for promotion. Switching up his swing was one of many things Matt Cross worked on during his second offseason as an Oakland A's prospect - mostly focusing on his legs.

“Way too short. I was cutting myself off when I was striding," he says. "We lengthened that out a little bit. Got the legs going. Using my hips more.”

The Starpoint and NCCC grad says Oakland coaches immediately saw a difference at spring training. 

"They were like ‘wow. Matt, what happened? You made a great jump,’" he remembers.

With baseball on the back-burner and gyms shuttered, Cross has been reduced to pounding tennis balls in his backyard.

“Five months of work, just to get sent back home. It was frustrating," he says. "Really frustrating.”

Cross was ready to put together a solid spring and try to begin this season at the low-a or full-season single-a level. Despite his rapid improvement, he didn't have any idea where he would've started  this year. Cross didn't catch in any spring-training games, and had only participated in bullpen sessions and batting practice.

Cross has kept in close contact with the organization - even if batting cages aren't always readily available, the A's ensure their catching prospect is still finding ways to get better.

“Every single week, I have three phone calls from three different people," he says. "My strength coach, trainer, and a regular coach that keeps up with us. It’s the same thing. ‘What’re you working on? How’re you able to keep it going with your work during the Coronavirus?’ But the main thing is they want us to stay healthy rather than get our work in.”

When it comes to restarting the season, Cross echoes the sentiments of most ballplayers; if MLB can provide a safe environment, he's all-in and getting back on the field.

"If the world’s still gotta deal with the Coronavirus, then we have to deal with it. Other than that, if we can get the season going, let’s get it going.”