Hultzen is pitching again!!!!!

[D-train]

How former top draft pick Danny Hultzen let go of expectations en route to Cubs comeback attempt

Sahadev Sharma 5h ago 12
DES MOINES, Iowa — Standing in the home dugout at Principal Park, home of the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate, Danny Hultzen grinned as he talked about his draft class.

The 2011 MLB Draft is littered with All-Stars, Cy Young and MVP candidates. Of the 30 picks made in that first round, 27 have made it to the big leagues.

But the No. 2 overall pick, Hultzen, isn’t one of them. There was a time when that would eat at Hultzen. But multiple shoulder surgeries and years away from the game have changed him.

“I have laugh to myself about it, at least now I can,” Hultzen said. “Seeing the list of guys who were in that first round and that draft as a whole, that would have put pressure on me in the past. Now I can laugh at it. They’re almost all big-league All-Stars.”

Hultzen, a left-handed college ace, was sandwiched in between top pick Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, both recent Cy Young candidates. Francisco Lindor went No. 8, one pick ahead of Javy Báez. Anthony Rendon went seventh and George Springer was the 11th pick.

“I see it every year on the pre-draft lists that they go back to that draft and list off all these great guys from that draft,” Hultzen said. “And there’s a missing spot at No. 2 and I think, ‘That’s me!’ I can laugh about it now, but that used to affect me a lot more. I was trying to live up to those guys. I’d say, ‘Bauer is doing this, Cole is doing that, I have to do better than that.’ Which is so stupid. But in the moment, I really did believe that I had to do that to make other people happy. And that was just so naïve and dumb of me. But I look at things so differently now.”

In 2011, Hultzen was the Friday starter for the University of Virginia. In 18 starts during his junior season, Hultzen posted a 1.37 ERA and struck out 165 batters while walking just 23 over 118 innings. He was looked at as a high-floor selection at No. 2 by the Seattle Mariners, someone who had impressive pitchability with improving stuff and could move through the system quickly. Perhaps Cole and Bauer had more upside, but Hultzen was seen as a safer, more dependable pick.

But the pressure he put on himself to succeed, the pressure that came along with being selected so high, was what ultimately sunk him.

“Looking back on my time with the Mariners, they gave me every single opportunity they could have, they were great to me,” Hultzen said. “But I put a gross amount of pressure on myself. It was an unhealthy amount of pressure. I was trying to live up to where I got drafted, live up to my signing bonus, trying to live up to all these expectations people created for me. Instead of just doing my thing and pitching the way I wanted to, I was pitching for the happiness and the attention for other people. I was trying to impress everyone. Every time I went out there, I was trying to impress everyone and make them say, ‘Oh, that’s the guy they drafted that high? That’s why.’ I didn’t want to be a disappointment to people.”

That desire to live up to expectations led Hultzen to hide the pain he was feeling in his shoulder.

“My arm started bothering me and I didn’t want to be the draft pick who got hurt,” Hultzen said. “I threw through stuff that I absolutely should not have been. I changed my mechanics because it made my arm feel better, started throwing across my body because it didn’t hurt. I should have said something about my arm much sooner than I did. I got to a point where I couldn’t pick up a ball anymore. I don’t want it to sound like I’m blaming anyone else, but it played a huge factor when I put all that pressure on myself.”


Seattle’s 2011 No. 2 overall pick Danny Hultzen was introduced at Safeco Field on August 17, 2011. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Hultzen reached Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate during his first full professional season in 2012. He delivered a solid 3.05 ERA across two levels, but he struggled mightily over his 12 starts in Tacoma, Wash.

By 2013, Hultzen couldn’t hide the shoulder pain any longer and underwent surgery. In 2015 and 2016, he made a combined five starts and underwent a second shoulder surgery. He went back to Virginia in 2017, finished his degree in history and worked as a student coach for the baseball team. Because of the severity of the injuries and the complex surgeries required to correct the issues, people assumed Hultzen retired from baseball.

“The fact that I had a second one, the doctor suggested I probably not play anymore,” Hultzen said. “I got a second opinion from Dr. (James) Andrews, who did the second surgery, and he said there was still a chance. That’s all I needed to hear. The fact that I had two very complicated surgeries and a couple docs I talked to suggested I stop playing, that got the word out that I was never going to play anymore. But that never came out of my mouth. I was never retired. I never really gave up the dream.”

While in Tacoma, Hultzen built a strong relationship with his pitching coach Terry Clark. Hultzen and Clark, now the Cubs’ Double-A pitching coach, kept in touch during Hutlzen’s year away from the game in 2017.

“I got back to throwing bullpens of February of 2018 and I was going to do a little showcase with some teams,” Hultzen said. “Just throw in front of them and prove I can still do this and that I really wanted to keep playing. But the contact I had with TC and some other with the Cubs, it just felt right that I went with them. I was honored that they offered me an opportunity. So I just said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

Once word got out that Hultzen might be throwing for scouts, the Cubs closed a deal with him before others could get a look. Hultzen ended up getting 6 2/3 innings with the Cubs’ Arizona League team and a pair at Triple-A Iowa toward the end of last season. It was a slow process as he got back to full strength and continued to tweak things on the mound.

Late this spring, well after the big-league club had already headed to Chicago, Hultzen created some buzz in Arizona, hitting 97 mph in one-inning bursts with a lower arm slot. Hultzen said the change isn’t something he did consciously, but if it’s happening and it’s working, he’s not about to mess with it. During his Virginia days and when he was healthy early on with the Mariners, Hultzen topped out at 95, maybe hitting 96 occasionally. So this jump in velocity, even in short bursts as a reliever, is just a bonus as he continues his comeback attempt.

“I’m working on things mechanically and I’m a bit more efficient,” Hultzen said. “That’s been a very pleasant surprise because I’ve never really thrown that hard. I can’t pinpoint exactly where it came from. But I think it’s just a culmination of me being further away from surgery, some different therapy techniques and some mechanical adjustments. I’m just trying to be as efficient as possible and it’s kind of resulted in that.”

Not only are Hultzen’s changes more efficient, but they could help him avoid injuries, too.

“I have a huge problem with stepping across my body,” Hultzen said. “That was one of the many factors that contributed to me getting hurt a lot. So I’m just trying to use my lower body a lot more efficiently and staying straight in-line. I’m still going to be a little across my body. Another thing I got to work on is keeping it simple and keeping my arm moving. There were points where I’d get stuck in the back of my delivery and I’d restart to try and generate all the energy. So it’s as simple as keeping my arm moving and using my body well. It’s made a big difference.”


Danny Hultzen pitched in the 2012 XM All-Star Futures Game during the height of his powers. That season saw him throw 124 total innings across two levels with a 3.05 ERA. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
With a fastball sitting in the mid-90s and touching 97, Hultzen continues to display the advanced changeup that made him so successful in college. His breaking ball comes and goes, but with two strong pitches and (finally) some health, Hultzen has a chance to finally make it to the big leagues.

“It’s a great story,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said. “He’s certainly got the stuff to be in consideration. He did a really nice job in Arizona. We sort of tightened up the down period between outings to see if it was something he could sustain. He pitched every other day for a little bit there. Once he got through that hurdle and still felt great, we decided to get him to Iowa. Kind of skip the normal progression, just get him up to a doorstep away because the stuff is really good. It’s the kind of stuff than can succeed against major-league hitters.”

So far in three Iowa appearances, Hultzen has tossed 2 2/3 innings, striking out four batters while allowing just one hit and one walk. He’s currently on the injured list with a groin issue, but it’s not expected to be serious.

Hultzen said that after spending so much time in Arizona, he’s also getting back into the swing of life as a professional ballplayer, moving from city to city and sleeping in a bed other than his own. But his goal is still the same as it once was: get to the big leagues.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid,” Hultzen said. “I don’t want to look back in 20 years and regret not giving it one more opportunity. If I were to retire and step away from the game because of my shoulder surgeries, it would have been disappointing – I’m very happy with my baseball career, but pitching in the major leagues is the ultimate goal. I don’t want to look back and say I should have given it that last chance.”

And as long of a shot as it once seemed, Epstein certainly isn’t dismissing the opportunity for a great comeback story.

“We’re excited about the stuff coming out of his arm, excited for him and we’re certainly open-minded about everything,” Epstein said. “But also realistic that you can’t show up and throw a handful of games at Iowa and be ready to help. But he’s definitely got our attention. I think he’s got a really good grasp now on certain treatments and things that he needs to do to put him in a position to pitch healthy on a regular basis against all odds. I’m proud of the work he put in and hope it continues.”

The Cubs currently have two lefties in the bullpen in Mike Montgomery and Kyle Ryan. Montgomery is struggling with an ERA above six and discouraging peripherals. Ryan has been effective, but certainly doesn’t have the type of stuff Hultzen boasts. The Cubs aren’t going to rush Hultzen and even if he comes up, he can’t be looked at as a panacea to any perceived issues they may have from the left side of their bullpen.

Epstein is happy with the work Hultzen is putting in to understand his body, but the work he’s done on his mind may be the key to finally achieving his goal. Hultzen still has the same big-league dreams he did eight years ago when he was first drafted, but his perspective has matured. Over time, that person who obsessed over trying to make others happy, the one who allowed every mistake to weigh on him, has faded away.

“When I got away from the game, I thought about it and realized what was important to me,” Hultzen said. “That shifted my perspective on the game. That’s just not who I am anymore. The goal now is to pitch for the Chicago Cubs, but I’m much more pitching for myself and being happy with where I’m at. I’m not just trying to impress others.”

[Hanjag]

How about a nice big bite of a fuck you sandwich there Danny Hultzen. That fn prick hid the injuries from the club and fd himself up and that is why he is now 29 pitching BP for Cubs AAA affiliate after being a 23 year old with a 2.05 ERA looking primed to come up. He says he can now laugh about being one of his draft class a class that has 27/30 1st rounders made mlb. Not to mention pick #1, and 3 both have made recent CY runs. POS

“My arm started bothering me and I didn’t want to be the draft pick who got hurt,” Hultzen said. “I threw through stuff that I absolutely should not have been. I changed my mechanics because it made my arm feel better, started throwing across my body because it didn’t hurt. I should have said something about my arm much sooner than I did. I got to a point where I couldn’t pick up a ball anymore. I don’t want it to sound like I’m blaming anyone else, but it played a huge factor when I put all that pressure on myself.”

[Petert]

“I have to laugh to myself about it, at least now I can...”

Yeah, for a number 2 pick, in a class that included Bauer, Bradley, Lindor, Rendon, etc., I’m finding it hilarious, too.

[D-train]

Could have drawn one of the 30 names that went in the first round out of a hat and would have had a 90% chance of picking a guy that made the majors.

[ice99]

Tyler Skaggs RIP. LAA vs. Texas game canceled.

[D-train]

Damn just a little over 10 years after Nick Adenhart. 27 yo. Sad.

[ice99]

He pitched just 2 days ago, died in Texas.

[D-train]

He is now a member of the 27 club.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Club

[D-train]

Cori "Coco" Gauff beat Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon. She was born March 13, 2004.

[Coeurd’Alene J]

I wish Danny nothing but the best. He wanted to be a Mariner and did his best.. injuries are difficult especially in pitchers. Jack on the other hand....why the fuck he didn’t take Rendon or just about anybody else