MOVING ON UP
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —Timing is everything, and for Colton Hock, his recent promotion by the Miami Marlins couldn’t have happened at a better time.
Hock, a Bloomsburg High School and Stanford University graduate, was promoted to Triple-A affiliate Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on July 9. Hock has enjoyed everything that came with having to relocate.
“It came at a good time,” Hock said. “Sometimes you get promoted and don’t know what you’re getting into, but this is sweet. ... Jacksonville is a great city. Some cities speak different, but it’s really nice here. They have a really nice setup here. Great teammates, great coaches.”
Hock credits all of last year with helping him get to the doorstep of Major League Baseball. He took time to refocus and sharpen his arsenal, allowing himself to get in a good place, both mentally and physically.
“I really worked on getting consistent,” he said. “The guys in the big leagues have that because they can go out and get the job done. If they don’t have a certain pitch, they make adjustments to get the job done.”
He refined his pitch selection, saying neither his curveball nor cutter were where he wanted them to be. With the help of a computer, he got to see just how much movement and depth he had, chipping away until he “could use them every day.”
He also wanted to use all of his 6-foot, 5-inch, 230-pound frame when pitching and not feel taxed while doing so.
Hock went to great lengths to make himself feel as uncomfortable as possible when training.
“It was really about finding my mechanics and seeing what worked for me,” he said. “Every day was something new until I found something I liked... You do it so many times that it becomes muscle memory, and I had the whole year to make myself feel uncomfortable with something I was comfortable doing all my life.”
The year-round training showed early with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Whales. Hock recorded 12 saves in 14 opportunities with a 2.84 earned run average in 25 1/3 innings. He also struck out 29 and walked 11.
Hock still pitches in relief for the Jumbo Shrimp but in a different capacity. His numbers aren’t as flashy early on as he sports a 5.56 ERA in 11 1/3 innings pitched. In his eight Triple-A appearances, Hock has struck out nine while issuing two free passes.
Despite not having the rush that comes with being a closer, Hock says his new role with a new team isn’t much different.
“Hitters at this level have taken more hacks over the years, know the zone better and can read pitches better,” Hock said. “It takes the same mental approach and having to apply that every day.”
Despite crediting the year off for allowing him to focus on himself, Hock still missed the adrenaline that comes with pitching to an opponent.
“Nothing compares to being on the mound between the lines with a batter — you can’t mimic it,” Hock said. “Pitching in a real game this year had me experiencing excited anxiety. This season has been a lot of fun.”
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