San Diego Padres Draft: Sam Weatherly intriguing starter and interview

Q: What have you been doing during this downtime to stay in shape and stay ready for the draft?

A: I’ve actually been staying with Bryce Teodosio, our CF, and his family in Greenville, SC. Bryce and I have a really good routine going and have definitely been making the most of our downtime. We workout together and have actually made great improvements strength-wise. Bryce broke his wrist making a great catch against South Carolina, so he’s unable to hit, but he has been willing to play catch with me and roll the ball back to me with a cast on, so I can keep my arm in shape.

Q: How has technology helped you to develop more pitches, and how is your changeup coming along?

A: I really enjoy using Trackman and the Edgertronic camera to mess with pitches or pitch design. I’ve used Trackman numbers to help with where I want to pitch and what zones I’m the most effective in. I’m considered a “high spin” guy with my FB and have found that throwing up in the zone is very beneficial.

I used the Edgertronic camera to help with my slider and change grips to help with the overall break, and its the same thing with the changeup. If I don’t like how the ball is coming out of my hand on a changeup, I can go back to the camera and tweak some things based on what I see, etc.

Q: It looked like you had a better handle on the command of your pitches this year, how can you continue to limit the number of walks at the next level? Is it as simple as attacking the zone and trusting your stuff?

A: For me, I think it’s all about staying in that middle ground. When I make mistakes, its because I’m being too aggressive, so just staying within myself and staying composed is what helps best. I also know there are things that I can tweak mechanically, but a lot of it comes down to the mental side. Staying confident, staying relaxed, and controlling what I can control is what’s going to help me improve.

A special thank you to Sam (@samweatherly6) for chatting with us. We wish you the best of luck with your professional career and the draft process, again.