Garret Stallings Interview at Time of draft and edited to add today's with Steve Mewleski

[Roll Tide]

 

Interesting read ..... Obviously from when he was drafted.

 

 

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Before I let you go, is there any one thing about you you’d like people to know as we follow you along this journey through the minors and hopefully up to the Major League?

“Not to talk too much about myself, but I just think that if you really just try to do everything the right way and be a nice person, treat people the right way, I think it really does reward you in the end.

Going through high school, college, I always took the time to never blow anybody off and always took the time to help as many people as I could and I think in the end it kind of helped me out.

I think the more relationships you can hold on to, the more people you can help, they’ll be there to help you out in the end and I think that’s something that has helped me reach as far as I have.”

 

https://www.halosheaven.com/2019/7/2/18760404/2019-angels-draftee-garrett-stallings-interview
 

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“It was a little bit of a shock. I knew I could have been thrown around in trade talks,” Stallings said during a Zoom interview today with O’s reporters. “When it happens, it still surprises you a bit. But I’m very blessed and excited for the opportunity.

 

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2020/12/garrett-stallings-on-his-southeast-virginia-roots-and-joining-the-os.html

[Frobby]

Sounds like a quality person.   Now, if he can only pitch...

[Roll Tide]

13 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Sounds like a quality person.   Now, if he can only pitch...

Elias spoke very highly of him. I know thats what hes supposed to do when you get a player.

[Oriole1940]

Sounds like a decent person who if he sticks might be a  big asset to the other young pitchers, even tho he is still young.  The kind of guy organizations like to have in their employ.  I have no idea if he has a reasonable chance of being a good long term ML Pitcher.  Sure hope so.   

[Roll Tide]

Bump

[LookinUp]

That's good advice for any kid. Most programs want good people who can play baseball and don't want to take on other people's problems into their program. 

[foxfield]

Well, he will be easy to root for...would be great if he can also turn out to be the Hallofamer we stole.  Like Frank Robinson.  

[Frobby]

22 minutes ago, foxfield said:

Well, he will be easy to root for...would be great if he can also turn out to be the Hallofamer we stole.  Like Frank Robinson.  

I wonder who is the best player we ever received in a trade before he had played in the majors?    In recent years, I’d say it was Tillman.   There may have been someone better than that from prior years, but I’m not immediately recalling someone off the top of my head.  

Edit - I guess it’s Schilling, even though his excellence came after we traded him.    
 

[Sports Guy]

It’s really awful that we have to make a big deal about this and talk about this every year.

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I wonder who is the best player we ever received in a trade before he had played in the majors?    In recent years, I’d say it was Tillman.   There may have been someone better than that from prior years, but I’m not immediately recalling someone off the top of my head.  

Edit - I guess it’s Schilling, even though his excellence came after we traded him.    
 

Scott McGregor

[Frobby]

9 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Scott McGregor

I was looking around and think this is probably the right answer in terms of who produced the most for the Orioles.    

[Roll Tide]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I wonder who is the best player we ever received in a trade before he had played in the majors?    In recent years, I’d say it was Tillman.   There may have been someone better than that from prior years, but I’m not immediately recalling someone off the top of my head.  

Edit - I guess it’s Schilling, even though his excellence came after we traded him.    
 

https://www.mlb.com/news/10-biggest-trades-in-orioles-history-c302485488

[Roll Tide]

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Trade to Os a dream come true

https://www.mlb.com/news/garrett-stallings-happy-to-be-traded-to-boyhood-orioles-team

[Frobby]

Some more from a subsequent Melewski blog post:

“I think that is one of the biggest things that separates me from the next guy - my ability to command all four pitches,” Stallings said in a Zoom interview with O’s reporters. “I think it’s just something that I really pride myself on. You know, playing catch or throwing bullpens, I just have an extreme focus on what I’m doing and what I’m trying to accomplish that day. Now I kind of have been a victim sometimes of throwing too many strikes, throwing pitches down the middle too often. I have to perfect my craft a little bit more and it’s allowed me to focus on other parts of my game that need improvement. Like velocity, commanding better breaking pitches for more punchouts and stuff like that. It is something I’ve taken pride in from a young age.”

He also has taken pride in his work in the classroom. He was a 4.0 student at Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, Va. He was named the Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Tennessee. He said he likes to do work in the community, too.

“I’m very fortunate to have two wonderful parents that instilled some great values in me. Baseball is just what I do, not who I am,” he said. “Playing baseball has opened a lot of doors for me, allowing myself to impact the community in a high way. I’ve just taken pride in being the best person I can be on and off the field. If I can give a little kid a pitching lesson, or sign a ball. You know, I’ve kept some of my old jerseys to someday give out to fans. Just to (be able to) have more of an impact, I will take it. I was a little kid one time going to Norfolk games, wanting an autograph or asking someone to take a picture. I know the impact that it can make, I’ve been there myself. It’s something that I’ve enjoyed doing and I think I’ll continue to do that my entire life.”

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2020/12/os-expected-to-field-two-gcl-teams-notes-on-shortstop-and-more.html

Like I said, quality kid.    

[Roll Tide]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Some more from a subsequent Melewski blog post:

“I think that is one of the biggest things that separates me from the next guy - my ability to command all four pitches,” Stallings said in a Zoom interview with O’s reporters. “I think it’s just something that I really pride myself on. You know, playing catch or throwing bullpens, I just have an extreme focus on what I’m doing and what I’m trying to accomplish that day. Now I kind of have been a victim sometimes of throwing too many strikes, throwing pitches down the middle too often. I have to perfect my craft a little bit more and it’s allowed me to focus on other parts of my game that need improvement. Like velocity, commanding better breaking pitches for more punchouts and stuff like that. It is something I’ve taken pride in from a young age.”

He also has taken pride in his work in the classroom. He was a 4.0 student at Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, Va. He was named the Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Tennessee. He said he likes to do work in the community, too.

“I’m very fortunate to have two wonderful parents that instilled some great values in me. Baseball is just what I do, not who I am,” he said. “Playing baseball has opened a lot of doors for me, allowing myself to impact the community in a high way. I’ve just taken pride in being the best person I can be on and off the field. If I can give a little kid a pitching lesson, or sign a ball. You know, I’ve kept some of my old jerseys to someday give out to fans. Just to (be able to) have more of an impact, I will take it. I was a little kid one time going to Norfolk games, wanting an autograph or asking someone to take a picture. I know the impact that it can make, I’ve been there myself. It’s something that I’ve enjoyed doing and I think I’ll continue to do that my entire life.”

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2020/12/os-expected-to-field-two-gcl-teams-notes-on-shortstop-and-more.html

Like I said, quality kid.    

The control focus is the only reason he has a good shot and here being a sinker baller helps.

MLB.com has his FB 50 (88-91) , CB 50, Slider 55, and Change 55. They only his control rated at 55. Those scores indicate that he is average or slightly above in regards to stuff and control. As a college pitcher he had a little over a K per inning and 1.3 BBS per 9. If he can maintain that rate he obviously has a shot of being pretty good.

 

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None of Stallings' offerings jump off the page, but he has a legitimate four-pitch mix. His fastball will top out at 93 mph and more often comes in at 88-91 mph, but he commands the pitch very well and throws it with a ton of sink. His changeup, which has similar movement, plays off it nicely and he sells it well. His curve got better during his junior year and he also has a slider/cutter at his disposal.

Stallings’ stuff plays up because he tunnels his pitches effectively and can throw all four of them for strikes. He rarely hurts himself with walks, allowing just 1.3 per nine innings at Tennessee. That gives him a chance to fit into the back of a big league rotation.