In our Stealth Bomber series, we talk to players in the farm system who aren’t yet on the New York radar, but hope one day to be so.

Selected in the 4th round of the 2008 draft, Corban Joseph has quietly and steadily moved through the Yankees’ farm system. He’s succeeded at every level, and currently at Triple-A, the 23-year old left-handed batter is having another solid season, hitting .262/.365/.458 (.362 wOBA, 125 wRC+). CoJo is clearly knocking on the big league door.

In a follow-up to the article we wrote about him only a few days ago, NoMaas’ Sensei John Kreese sat down with the Tennessee native to discuss his season, his hitting approach, his future with the Yankees organization, Robinson Cano, and much more.

Sensei John Kreese: You’re having a great year. What’s clicking for you?

Corban Joseph: I had a little setback with injury early in the year, so I was really eager to get back on the field. I’m around guys who’ve had time in the big leagues. Being so close is really exciting, knowing you’re only a phone call away…being in that environment, it’s helped me lift my game up a little bit.

SJK: Like you said “you’re a phone call away”…tell me about your minor league journey, from Rookie League ball to now being on the brink.

CoJo: I went to Rookie Ball in the GCL, which is probably one of the hardest things any player has to go through, just because of the conditions you’re playing in. Year after that, I got sent to Extended, and didn’t break with the team. Then, the 3rd baseman at Charleston got hurt, and I got the opportunity to play, and I did really well. From there, it took off.

It’s definitely been a journey. That’s the thing about the minor leagues, it’s a constant grind. You never want to get comfortable with where you’re at.

SJK: Is there anything left for you in the minors? Do you think you’ve learned all you can there, and the next step in your development would be heading to the big show?

CoJo: I’m always willing to learn, always trying to prove something. Even the great players, they’re never content.

SJK: Switching topics a bit, what’s it like not having a home stadium this year?

CoJo: It’s pretty tough. You’re traveling non-stop. You’re playing at different ballparks with different fans, constantly getting ragged on. It’s a constant grind. It’s a tough situation, but you have to overcome adversity.

SJK: So you are just going from hotel room to hotel room?

CoJo: Yeah, some are better than others. We’re on a “homestand” in Rochester, and some guys have thought about renting apartments, but it doesn’t make any sense. We’re only here 10 days out of the month.

SJK: That’s something I’ve been curious about. The lack of home stadium hasn’t slowed you down, but I was wondering if it’s affected other players.

CoJo: Everyone’s different, but some days, I might not sleep as well because of a mattress at a hotel. It’s little things like that. It’s one of those years that a lot of people don’t understand. It’s really tough.

SJK: Back to your season, there’s a couple of stats that really stand out. You’re walking more than at any other point in your career (14.0% BB rate), and you’re hitting for some good power (.196 ISO) since making the jump to Triple-A. Is this the result of adjustments you’ve made, or just the process of getting older, stronger, and more experienced?

CoJo: I made a little adjustment, but I do see some balls that I hit this year going a little bit further than what was happening last year. That’s ultimately what you want to see…growing into your body, getting stronger, and barreling a ball up to see it travel the way it should. That’s just a long-term thing that will hopefully keep improving. I did make a little tweak in my approach. I’m trying to be more relaxed and not chase pitches outside of my zone, and it’s worked out really well.

SJK: I’ve read that you do a lot of preparation analyzing the opposing pitcher. Could you tell us about that?

CoJo: We get information on that stuff presented to us daily. Butch Wynegar [Triple-A hitting coach] does a really good job with that. I like looking at the zones. In Triple-A, we get zones on where they locate certain pitches, and the percentages they throw them.

So, I’ve really fallen into that and adjusted my approach a little bit — if a guy typically throws away to lefties, or comes in on lefties, if he throws a lot of change-ups — it’s something I have in the back of my head. I’ll also look at the percentages a pitch is thrown in certain counts. If I’m behind in the count, and I know he throws a slider, I’ll still be ready for a fastball, but I know a slider could be coming.

SJK: Is access to this type of information not available in the lower levels?

CoJo: Not when I was there. I don’t know if they have it now. But, it’s one of the coolest things to look at what the tendencies are.

SJK: As you look to the Bronx, and you see Robinson Cano at your position, what goes through your mind?

CoJo: Everyone in the world knows he’s the greatest second basemen in the game right now. I talked to him in Spring Training and he helped me out a lot. I consider him a friend. He’s great at what he does.

For me, I just want to be ready. My ultimate goal is to make it to the big leagues. I try to improve something everyday to make that goal a little bit closer. I try to keep a clean sense of mind with it. You never know what the future holds, but the only thing I can control is how I play the game. That’s what I keep my focus on.

SJK: Knowing that he’s at second, has there ever been any talk of you changing positions, maybe a corner OF spot?

CoJo: One year they had me out in left during Spring Training or Instructs, going over angles. It’s in the back of my pocket, just in case. But, I’ve never played a minor league game in left, right, or center.

For the most part, I’m a second baseman. I can only control how I play everyday, and whatever they need me to do, I’ll do it.

SJK: Realistically, and this is a tough question, do you think you’ll still be with the Yankees a couple years from now or do you think you’ll be somewhere else where there’s an open spot? What’s your outlook?

CoJo: A lot of the guys say that if they [Yankees] need someone, they’ll make a trade for him. Being drafted by the Yankees, I’m a Yankee and I’ll always be a Yankee. I take pride in wearing my pinstripes everyday. Ultimately, you want to stick with the best team and play for the best team, and the Yankees are the best team.

But, as far as knowing who I’m going to play for…to be honest, I don’t know. I hope that I’ll be with the Yankees, and hope that I’ll get an opportunity to play, and be able to play in the Bronx one day. Ultimately, it’s a business and there’s possibilities that I can’t control. My mindset is to just fulfill my dream.

SJK: The bat has never been a question with you. You’ve put up numbers at every level. The only question I’ve ever heard about you is the glove. How have you progressed defensively as you’ve moved through the system?

CoJo: Oh man. It’s like night and day. I’ll be honest. When I first got drafted, I was drafted as a shortstop. And then they moved me to second base, and I was so turned around. I played shortstop my whole life. My manager at the time, Jody Reed, he really had the patience and helped me out a lot. He showed me the importance of defense.

Where I grew up and in high school, defense was expected, but you could always hit your way back, especially with metal bats. If you made an error and gave up two runs, no one was worried about it because our whole team could hit. Growing up, I didn’t pay as much attention to defense as I should have been. Fundamentally, fielding ground balls, I was terrible.

And then putting in hours and hours of practice…Jody Reed, Pat Roessler – our fielding coordinator at the time….still to this day, Frankie Menechino is on me all day, everyday about my defense. My bat can carry me, but my defense will let me stay where I’m at.

SJK: Alright, man. I think that’s all I got. Pleasure talking with you. You’re certainly on the radar.

CoJo: I appreciate it. Thanks for taking the time.

SJK: Absolutely. We obviously hope you stay with the organization, but we know Cano is a big roadblock for you, so whether it’s with the Yankees or someone else, we wish you the best of luck.

** An added note: This was one of the most enjoyable interviews we’ve done. Corban was great to talk with and we hope the future brings him continued success.