The workouts began in the gym at 9 a.m. Six times a week, beginning in late October, the routine unfolded without interruption. The facility was filled with professionals, many of them big leaguers, which isn’t all that unusual for the offseason in a baseball hotbed like Tampa. But within that larger group formed a smaller cluster. They were all pitchers who believed that the majors were within reach. And quickly, they realized how much of themselves they could see in one another, and how this could be a source of strength.
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There was Jake Woodford, who had grown up nearby and gotten drafted in the first round by the Cardinals. There was the lefty Foster Griffin, another first-rounder taken by the Royals. There was his teammate, the 18th overall selection in the 2018 draft and one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Brady Singer. Then there was Nate Pearson, another highly-touted prospect, whose 100 mph fastball will be available out of the bullpen on Tuesday when the Blue Jays open their wild card series agains the Rays.
“Pitchers seem to find a way to get together,” Pearson said. “We need someone to throw with. We start getting in sync on the same throwing programs and lifting schedule. Next thing you know we’re hanging out 24/7 and golfing. It all kind of just goes together.”
During those morning workouts, every lift, every rep, every exercise turned into a competition. It triggered a connection that grew during throwing sessions, where they swapped notes and borrowed ideas. Later, during the strangest of all baseball seasons, it was that bond that helped all four reach their goals. By the end of it, each one had become major leaguers.
“To see it all come together, it’s amazing,” said Singer, who was first to break through. Griffin followed shortly after, then Pearson. Finally, Woodford appeared in a game for the Cardinals. They would soon encapsulate the ups and downs that are a condition of playing baseball for a living. They offered comfort when Griffin’s one outing was cut short by an elbow injury that would require Tommy John Surgery. They rejoiced when in the ninth of his career, Singer nearly threw a no-hitter.
“You’re so soft,” Griffin texted Singer afterward, taking care not to indicate he was joking. “You had it all written out there for you and you can’t go nine innings.”
“I read this, and chose not to reply,” Singer fired back later. “Just so you know.”
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It was the kind of chiding that became part of the soundtrack in the offseason, whether in the gym or on the golf course after training. The pitchers shared enough in common to know of each other: Florida’s travel ball and the showcase circuit meant that they’d wind up on the same teams, or as opponents. Each one would wind up sharing an agent, Jason Romano of Excel, himself a former first-round draft pick. But not until last winter, when they all began training at the same facility full time, did they get to know each other better.
“I don’t think we really knew what we were doing at the beginning,” Woodford said. “It kind of just slowly started happening that way.”
Offseason work can be drudgery, as Griffin learned in his first winter as a pro. He was drafted in 2014, then spent the winter working on his own at his old high school near Orlando. Eventually, he found that competition made the work more worthwhile. He moved to Tampa last winter, where Woodford, Pearson and Singer had already been training at the same facility. Things progressed from there.
“Working out together, we’ve built a good relationship,” Singer said. “A lot of golf, and a lot of hanging out. The main thing is working out, competing, pushing each other in the weight room and off the field, and pushing each other into the big leagues. That’s what’s cool. You see we’re all now in the big leagues. You see that it’s paid off.”
Within the group, making the major leagues became a topic of open conversation. That urgency brought accountability. Miss a lift, Singer said, and someone was going to make a big deal about it. “You’re keeping an eye on what kind of weight they’re doing without being obvious about it, you know what I mean?” Griffin said. Sled pushes turned into impromptu contests. Pearson seemed eager to introduce trash talk into the equation.
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“Nate gets going sometimes, and just starts annoying you until you finally give in, regardless of what it is,” Woodford said. “He’s sort of chirping you a little bit here, a little bit there, and next thing you know you’re like right next to him about to race or do something.”
Every day after workouts came time to throw. Those sessions turned into opportunities to pick up something new. Pearson hones his craft through analytics, and he became the go-to guy in that department. By contrast, Singer said, “I’m not totally bought in.” But the differences only brought more of the questions that led to learning. Playing catch meant picking up spin and trying each others’ pitch grips. They’d talk weighted ball routines and pitch sequences.
“You always want to be around guys with a similar mindset,” Romano said. “When you’re training with guys who want to be great, those guys are always pulling you up.”
At the end of the offseason, the group dispersed for their respective camps. But when COVID-19 shut down the sport, Woodford, Singer and Pearson returned home to Tampa. Soon, they’d begin outdoor workouts, in hopes of trying to make something of the time. “Being around all the guys, it was like we were running our own mini spring training at home,” Woodford said. “We’d do our bullpens, coordinate with hitters, and do live BPs, and get those competitive juices flowing a little bit. Having all that available was definitely something that I was fortunate to have. It helped me stay ready during that whole time period.”
Perhaps as important as staying sharp was simply being able to talk to those who could relate – especially during a time of uncertainty. “We were able to keep each other sane and calm,” Pearson said. “We were so close. And we didn’t know if we were going to play this season.” But baseball returned, and the debuts began in earnest.
Singer, 24, tossed five innings against the Indians on July 25 in Cleveland. “It came full circle,” said Pearson, who made it a point to watch. “Last year, we were there celebrating our minor league season success. Now he’s on that mound celebrating his major league achievement.” Singer would finish with 12 starts in his rookie year, posting a 4.06 ERA.
Two days later, Griffin, 25, pitched 1 2/3 innings, though it became bittersweet because of his injury. He’ll spending the next year rehabbing. Still, he finally broke through after six seasons in the minors.
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Pearson, 24, tossed five scoreless innings in his debut at Washington on July 25. “When I was walking out to the field and started playing catch and I look over and see Max Scherzer throwing on the line on the other side of the field,” Pearson said. “I was like yep, this is it, this is real. This is no spring training game or simulated whatever. I’m facing Max Scherzer. This is the real deal.”
Woodford, 23, became the last of the four to make it little more than two weeks later. Facing the White Sox on Aug. 15, he allowed a run in three innings. “Everybody debuting this year was pretty special,” Woodford said. “Just a bunch of texts flying around in group chats and stuff which was a pretty cool experience.”
As the playoffs begin, both Pearson and Woodford appear to have spots in the bullpen. Woodford has pitched in relief for the Cardinals since his debut, posting a 5.57 ERA, though each of his last three outings have been scoreless.
Pearson who could play an intriguing role for the Blue Jays in the playoffs. After posting a 6.61 ERA in five starts, Pearson dealt with a bout of elbow tightness. But he returned on Sept. 25 and touched 101 mph on the radar gun. His high-octane arm could prove to be a dangerous weapon out of the bullpen in the postseason.“I was just so thankful to get back,” he said. “Hopefully I can play a big role here in the playoffs.”
Whatever happens, though, the group has already reached its first checkpoint. The next will require even more work.
“We met that goal, we made the big leagues, and that’s great,” Singer said. “Now we’re here to succeed in the big leagues and leave a mark on it, and put together some really good careers.”
Say what?
All I’ve heard about Kris Bryant is that he’s a nice fellow. I’ve seen it in the postseason, during large scrums with out-of-town-writers. I’ve seen it in New York, as president of the local BBWAA, which is in charge of handing out the rookie of the year and Most Valuable Player. Bryant won both, of course. He proved to be a graceful in those settings, too. But I also like it when folks fire back at criticism that they believe to be unfair.
Walk-offs
For the sake of consistency, I stuck with the A’s as my pick to win the World Series … Looking for a bracket buster? Look no further than the seventh-seeded Reds in the National League. Trevor Bauer has been an ace all season, and the lineup has spent the last week emerging from a slumber that almost kept them out of the postseason. They’re peaking at the right time and now they look destined for the final four … Keep an eye on the Marlins, the sixth-seed in the National League, who drew the Cubs in the opening round. The Cubs have benefitted greatly from a strong start to the season. But at some point, fielding a lineup full of underachievers will catch up to them. The Marlins could hasten that demise, given how much firepower they can unleash, beginning with Sixto Sánchez … Congratulations to George A. King III, who will be retiring at season’s end after 24 years as the Yankees beat writer at the New York Post. King has long been one of the most respected beat writers in baseball. And as I learned, he’s also a tremendous teacher. King made my years covering the Yankees feel like graduate school for beat writing. For that, I can’t thank him enough.
(Top photo of Pearson: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
