COTUIT, Mass. - "Continual." That was the term used by Robert Stock when he was asked to describe his baseball journey.

The former Kett played for Cotuit from 2007 to 2008, and he's had one of the most interesting careers in the Kettlers' pipeline.

Stock grew up in Los Angeles and gravitated to baseball because it was "always cool." As a teenager, he could touch over 80 mph and was tabbed the best 13-year-old in the country by Baseball America. "It was fun to be good at something, which made me want to work harder at it," Stock says.

As a 16-year-old, he decided to forgo his senior year of high school to enroll early in college. The idea stemmed from his father, Gregg, saying, "We thought the baseball environment would be better at the college level than what I would've gotten for that final year. He was right," Stock added. Earning a 3.8 GPA and being as big as the other incoming freshmen, the decision made sense for his development.

He chose to stay local and play for the baseball powerhouse of Southern California (USC).

"It was a seamless transition, seeing I had the opportunity to play with almost the entire incoming freshman class from years of travel ball," he says.

Once reaching campus in the summer of 2007, Stock received a call inquiring about his interest in playing on the Cape. Cotuit was the team that reached out, and the decision was a no-brainer. "Cape Cod Baseball? Done, sign me up."

Stock was the youngest player in the Cape League that summer and earned his first of back-to-back all-star nods, clubbing four homers and 20 RBIs while making nine appearances on the mound.

"With every level you reach in baseball, you get to see and be around more talented players," said Stock. And away from the field, there was no better place to be. "You feel people genuinely care about you and your well-being in Cotuit.

His favorite memory during his time with the Ketts? “Just hitting before the games,” he replied.

“Coach Roberts would throw early batting practice to us around 1 p.m., and then a couple of hours later we’d hit again during actual BP.” Stock took true enjoyment from being in the field daily and always looked forward to doing it again. “Of all my years playing baseball, my summers on the Cape were the most fun.”

During his three seasons at USC, Stock batted .263, collecting 122 hits, clubbing 14 homers and driving in 74 runs as the team’s primary catcher.

On the mound, making 45 total appearances with a 3.38 ERA. After his junior year, he declared for the 2009 MLB Draft as a 19-year-old.

The St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the 67th overall pick. They drafted Stock as a catcher, and he produced well through his first pro season, hitting .322 with seven bombs.

The results would begin to tail off in the handful of seasons that followed, and by 2012, the Cardinals chose to transition Stock into pitching full-time. His once “legitimate two-way talent” rating by scouts was laid to rest.

It was widely known that Stock wanted to continue as a catching prospect, but the organization had other visions. “Once you get into pro ball, you realize it’s so difficult to do even one of those,” he said.

From there, he would post a 4.18 ERA in over 170 innings across the next three seasons at Single-A. He averaged in the low-to-mid 90s on his fastball, with a nice changeup and curveball. The issue wasn’t his repertoire but more with his command. During that stretch, he struck out 151 batters but also walked 120. At the end of 2014, he was released by the team that took a flyer on him as a draft pick at age 25.

He signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates at the beginning of 2015, but would only pitch in 12 games with an ERA approaching 8. Stock would decide to turn away from the minor leagues for the first time in his professional career. He described the minors as “cutthroat.” “It forces 99.9% of players to deal with failure. You’ll be playing terribly and feel like you can’t do anything right.”

Before 2016, he opted to play independent ball with the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League. Here, he rebounded by tossing a sub-three ERA in 60 innings. A year later, he was back in the minors with the Cincinnati Reds organization. He once again pitched to an ERA below three, but this time in 70 innings, and even earned his first promotion to Double-A. He would elect free agency at season’s end.

During the 2017 offseason, Stock inked a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres, including an invite to major league spring training for 2018. During camp, he was clocked at above 100 mph multiple times and made a strong impression on the eyes within the organization. He began the year in Double-A and reached Triple-A by midseason.

On June 24th, 2018, nine years after being drafted, Stock made his long-awaited major league debut. He tossed a scoreless inning, fanning two in a 3-2 loss against the San Francisco Giants. He stuck around to make 32 appearances over the remainder of the season and was out on the mound, firing heat. 11 of the 12 fastest pitches San Diego pitchers threw that year came from his arm.

In 2019, Stock threw 41 innings combined at triple-A and primary league levels with mixed results before a bicep strain abruptly ended his season entirely. He would be outrighted and claimed off waivers several times before landing with the Red Sox for the 2020 COVID-riddled season.

In what he considered the “wildest season ever,” Stock rotated between traveling with the big league club and training at the team’s “alternate site” for the 60-game campaign. He was designated for assignment in November, making 10 appearances with Boston.

He made some starts with the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets in 2021, but with limited success. He decided to head overseas to pitch in the very popular Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), signing a one-year deal worth $500,000. He made 29 starts for the Doosan Bears and performed well in 165 innings.

He participated in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, representing Team Israel during the global tournament showcase. “There’s a reason why players worldwide think the WBC is one of the best experiences you can have playing baseball.”

He would go on to bounce around a handful of independent leagues and even played in Mexico for a short period. Stock stated that these moves tested his “love and commitment” for the game, but he still finds himself grateful for the experiences.

“The different environments teach you a lot about the different styles of baseball. Ultimately, it helped me become a better student of the game. He added that he “couldn’t be happier playing back in the States.”

Stock signed back with the Red Sox on a minor league deal this past offseason. He was added to the active roster in April, tossing two innings of one-run ball against the Toronto Blue Jays. He made another appearance just as recently as last month but has spent most of 2025 with the Worcester WooSox in Triple-A.

At the current age of 35, Stock is continually chasing his dream each day. What is his fuel that keeps him going? Look no further than his peers.

“I grew up playing with guys who will be future Hall-of-Famers someday. And I’ve realized they’re not doing anything I couldn’t do. They’re just doing it at an elite level that is extremely hard to master. I want to strive to accomplish even a tenth of what they can do by believing in myself to keep going.”

Stock was back in Cotuit this past week for the MLB All-Star break because “what’s better than a couple of days on the Cape?, he joked. But more importantly, he returned because of the people he met 17 summers ago. He was accompanied by his wife, Sara, and daughter, Stella.

The three stayed with Stock’s host family from his time with the Ketts. Steve and AnnMarie Tenaglia, who were his host parents but have become extended family for Stock, even being present at his wedding.

He continues to stay in contact with them year after year.

“Being able to bring my family here and have them experience the things I have in this beautiful place is so special,” he says.

Stock has called various stadiums his home ballpark and has worn many different jerseys throughout his career. The one constant has been his consistency. Every season, he’s shown up ready to play regardless of level, position, location, or salary.

He said, “I never once thought about doing anything but playing baseball.”

And it’s because of that mindset; after all of this time, playing baseball is the only thing he’s done.