Halfway through our interview, as we discussed his language barrier, I asked Richard Ureña through a translator how much he could understand when I asked him a question.



“Todo,” he replied.



“Everything,” his translator said.



But Ureña could not reply in English. And like many Spanish-speaking prospects, he finds that the bridge between two languages is more like a barricade.



The Blue Jays prospect first came to the United States from the Dominican Republic to play professional baseball at 17 and immediately fulfilled the hype that surrounded his $750,000 signing bonus. After four seasons, MLB.com has labeled him the Jays’ No. 1 prospect. Baseball America ranks him fifth in Toronto’s farm system.



He can hit and play shortstop, although his rough edges are evident. But despite the daily one-hour English classes that the team provides during the season, he cannot speak...