Ohio University pitcher Joe Rock has come a long way since his fastball used to blow by batters on Beaver County baseball diamonds. The Hopewell grad, ranked the No. 56 overall draft prospect by MLB.com, is among the top hurlers in college baseball this season. His complete-game, seven-inning no-hitter on Feb. 26 against Morehead State was just the latest example of the 6-foot-5 left-hander’s progression as an imposing force on the mound.
“He’s like a human cheat code,” said Ohio catcher Mason Minzey. “As a team, we know that whenever he’s on the mound, he’s going to give us his best. His delivery and the way the ball comes out of his hand, something about it is just different. Whether it’s his fastball, his slider or even his change-up, it’s just different from all the other guys.”
Rock’s upward trajectory hasn’t come without sacrifice, however. Take the summer after his freshman year for example.
Coming off a 5.19 ERA season in which he lacked control and command with his pitches, Rock forewent summer ball to participate in a rigorous strength training program run by Eric Cressey of Cressey Sports Performance Center. For 10 weeks, Rock lived in an Air BnB with his father in the Boston suburb of Marlborough, completely removed from his friends and family back home, and trained alongside 38 other college and high school pitchers, focusing on building his lower body and core and shoulder stability strength.
“It gave me time to get away from distractions because I didn’t know anybody up there at the time,” Rock said. “I was able to just focus on my work and what I needed to do to put myself in a situation to succeed. I really got a lot stronger.”
Rock and his dad did make time to catch a Red Sox game, however. After all, spending an entire summer in Boston without a trip to Fenway Park would’ve been disrespectful to the baseball gods.
“They played the Dodgers,” he said. “It was really awesome.”
Since that summer, Rock has added 40 pounds of mostly muscle to his 200-pound frame. With refined mechanics and a more cognizant approach, he’s able to throw his fastball, slider and change-up for strikes on any given pitch. Rock’s 0.95 ERA in 38 innings of work over six starts (4-1) are direct byproducts of his steadfast commitment to self-improvement.
“He’s gained a work ethic that is unmatched right now,” said Ohio interim coach Craig Moore. “The biggest thing with Joe is that he’s growing up. He understands the position that he’s in right now with the MLB talk and things of that nature. He’s handling the situation really well and just keeps going out every Friday and performing.
“He’s starting to figure out what kind of presence he has for our team. He’s developed a work ethic that is very, very solid.”
Rock consistently throws his four-seam fastball in the 92-94 mph range and can hit as high as 97. His slider’s velocity sits in the mid-to-low 80s with a sweeping break, and his change-up has continued to develop as he has gotten more comfortable with it. Above all, Rock’s control is what has stood out the most. He holds a 51-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season. In his no-hitter, he threw 54 of 89 pitches for strikes.
“He came out ready to pitch just like always,” said Minzey, who was behind the plate for Rock’s no-hitter. “We went through the game thinking about the next out and not really saying anything about it. His mentality is always like ‘Hey, let’s go step on their throat and show them what I can do.’ We have a few guys who have that sort of mentality, but his is just different. He knows he’s capable of shutting anybody down at any given point.”
Rock’s focus remains on helping the Bobcats (11-11) attain their first winning season since 2017. Then it will shift to preparing for the 2021 MLB draft on July 11. Scouts currently project him as a potential first-round pick, and if that ends up being the case, he’ll become Ohio University baseball’s highest-drafted pitcher since 1974.
“Ever since I was a little kid going down to PNC Park [for Pirates games] at 5 years old, my dream has always been to be out there,” said Rock. “For that goal to be so closely in front of me, it’s just something that shows hard work pays off. But I know once I get there, the hard work is only going to start all over again. I think I’m ready for that.”
First Published: April 7, 2021, 9:30 a.m.
