RANCHO CUCAMONGA — Johnny Washington first caught Carlos Subero’s eye on a rural diamond in Clinton, Iowa, in the summer of 2005.

But it wasn’t anything the 22-year-old infielder was doing on the field or at the plate that Subero, then the manager of the Clinton Lumberkings, noticed.

“What stood out to me was how smart he was and how he would pick up stuff that hardly anyone his age or with his experience could pick up as quickly,” Subero said. “Tendencies on hitters, pitchers’ tendencies after only two hitters, already knowing what kind of plans the pitchers had, bat alignments, knowing when a runner is going to try and steal. … He just had a good feel for the game.”

Those traits didn’t lead to success for Washington as a player. After being drafted out of Mt. San Jacinto College by the Texas Rangers in 2003, Washington hit only .211 in seven minor league seasons and never advanced above high-A.

They have, however, helped him achieve success at a young age as a coach.

Washington is now the hitting coach for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and at 29 years old is the youngest coach in the California League.

Under the former MSJC Eagle’s tutelage, the Quakes — the high-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers — have the third-highest batting average and OPS in the league despite playing in a pitcher’s park.

“It’s fun to work with him because he actually knows what he’s talking about and he finds ways to implement what he’s teaching in a fun way,” outfielder Noel Cuevas said. “It’s not like all military. He finds a way to make you feel comfortable in what you’re doing and then he implements what he wants to teach you.”

With braces, a wispy moustache and a big smile, Washington could easily be confused for a player at first sight. But being fairly close in age to the players has helped Washington implement his two most important strategies for coaching: making them feel comfortable and establishing their trust.

“I relate hitting to things they’re comfortable with or things that require no thought for most of the guys, like if a guy likes to hunt or if a guy likes to play basketball,” Washington said. “Most of the kids here are great athletes, so if you put them in a different arena to compete, without the thought of failure or the thought of being mechanical, it is a big help. We try and get the hitting as far away from being a thought process as possible to where it’s just a reaction.”

As for trust:

“I feel if I can get close enough to the player and that I care for his success versus my success, then I’ve won and it becomes a trust thing after that,” he said. “The toughest thing is getting a kid to know you and to trust you. I keep it loose, kind of like if we were friends because you trust your friends. If I can relate to you as a friend, you would trust me as well.”

The themes of comfort and trust constantly come up when players discuss why they enjoy playing for Washington, and point to them as reasons for their success.

“A lot of coaches are real old school but he’s more of a new-school type of guy,” shortstop Darnell Sweeney said. “That’s what players like, someone who is closer to the same mindset as them and the fact that he has the same mindset makes it that much easier to play for him. … This is my first full season and to have someone like that in my corner, that’s gonna help me in the long run.”

While some are surprised by Washington’s success, Subero — who is now the Quakes manager — is not one of them.

By the time Washington retired in 2009, Subero had already recommended to Dodgers Vice President of Player Development DeJon Watson that Washington be brought on as a coach.

Within days of his retirement, Washington was hired as the hitting coach of the Rookie League Ogden Raptors, and has steadily moved up the organizational ladder.

“He’s a very knowledgeable kid and a student of the game,” Subero said. “It doesn’t surprise me at all at 29 years old he would be where he is. I think he can even be a manager one day.”

Washington’s dream of playing in the major leagues did not come to pass, but the former MSJC Eagle could very well end up there as a hitting coach if his quick rise is any indication.

However, his main goal has nothing to do with making the big leagues anymore.

“The goal is always to get to the big leagues whether it’s as a player or as a coach, but I think my ultimate goal is to help the kids that I’m involved with at this point,” he said. “If I can touch one kid each year then I think I’ve done my job. As far as me getting to the big leagues, if it happens great, but if it doesn’t happen my dream was to help kids. That’s why I got into this business.”