By: Justin Girshon
April 27, 2020
Earlier today, I had the privilege to ask Angels prospect, Chris Rodriguez, some questions about his baseball career! Rodriguez was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Angles straight out of high school. Rodriguez has played in parts of 3 MiLB seasons but injuries have held him out of the 2018 season and most of the 2019 season. The highest level Rodriguez has played in is A+ but he is still rated the seventh best prospect in the Angels farm system by mlb.com.
When did you first realize you had a chance to play professional baseball? What did you focus on to help achieve this goal?
I knew I had a chance to play pro ball my senior year of high school. The biggest thing I did was compete on and off the field and made sure I tried working harder than anyone out there and focus on one thing at a time.
Why did you decide to skip college baseball and enter the 2016 MLB Draft? What was the biggest difference from high school baseball to minor league baseball?
Well, my dream was to play pro ball and although college is a great experience for some guys, I had my mind set on pro ball. And (the) talent level is the biggest difference. I was just turning 18 and I was facing guys who were as old as 24 with a lot of experience so I had to mature (quickly).
What was the MLB Draft process like? How were you able to stand out to the Angels and other teams that scouted you?
It was a weird process! You never know what’s gonna happen or who’s gonna take you and you just gotta pray for the best! And to be honest, I don’t know why I stood out to the Angels but whatever the reason was I’m thankful!
Although injuries have held you back the last couple of seasons, how have you been staying in game shape? What has motivated you through your injuries?
I’ve been mainly working on my core! When you have a back injury you have to make sure your core is able to keep you stabilized in your delivery and also in your lifts so you’re not using your back. The love of the game has kept me motivated and missing these two seasons have made me hungrier than ever!
How would you describe yourself as a pitcher? How will this (hopefully) help the Angels (or another team) win ball games in the future?
I’m competitive and pitch with a lot of intent. All I want to do on the mound is win and give my team the best possible chance of winning so god willing one day, I will help the big league team get some wins and compete to be the best team out there.
Image via @MiLB on Twitter
I am a freshman studying magazine, news and digital journalism at the Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications
