Injury, heartache, rust, and boredom, I’m sure all of these things crept into the mind of Pirates 2020 4th rounder Jack Hartman.
Hartman was drafted out of Appalachian State and was considered a classic “senior sign” as he signed for $60,000, which is well below the slot value of $538,200.
Between the “senior sign” tag and an unfortunate injury, Hartman has become somewhat of an afterthought in most Pirate fans’ minds. Hartman discussed with me how he spent his rehab.
“Spending time with my family and fiance has been the biggest thing for me,” said Hartman. “I also brought home a new puppy from my uncle’s bird dog farm, and that has been super fun. I missed my family a lot during those long rehab days in Bradenton. This off-season has been extremely beneficial for me as both an athlete and a person.”
People tend to forget that athletes are human and feel the same things we feel. An underlooked aspect is how much these guys miss their families and friends, and it’s crazy to think that a new puppy could change things, but then again, doggos are what makes the world go round.
As for the athlete, Hartman discussed his rehab routine.
“My routine has honestly been trying to get out of the rehab process,” said Hartman. “My goal has been to back to being as normal of a player as possible. I want to break free and allow myself to be an athlete again. My focus has been to throw free again rather than just mechanics or stregthening specific muscles.”
We can’t expect Hartmans’ pitches to be 100% at this point, but he felt he’s approaching that mark.
“From a metric standpoint, it’s all getting really close, and I know I’m going to show better metric numbers in a game environment,” said Hartman. “I know my feel for putting the pitches where I want is still getting there, and the game environment during spring training will be my true test.”
After not pitching for two years due to the COVID lost season and this injury, Hartman will have to put his confidence on the line (which he told me is high) and show what he’s got. If Hartman can show that fourth round talent in 2022, maybe he will start to creep into conversations again.
Member Jack Hartman? Well I do, enjoy this little clip of Hartman hitting damn near 98 MPH. Pretty big velo jump from all accounts.
Here are some other videos Hartman sent over for your viewing pleasure
Anotha Hartman Video pic.twitter.com/ep6H9tQhub
— Cody Potanko (@2HG013) February 9, 2022
Annnd why not, anotha one lol pic.twitter.com/PwsZAcK8cq
— Cody Potanko (@2HG013) February 9, 2022
Pirates Prospects Spotlight
Jack Hartman was drafted by Pirates area scout Jerry Jordan, who has been with the organization since 2011, and who also drafted MLB players Austin Meadows and Alex Dickerson.
This week Tim Williams broke down all of the current amateur scouts in the organization, how long they’ve been with the Pirates, and some of their notable signings.
