When 6-foot-6 Orleans pitcher Brennan Seiber takes the mound, he’s usually the largest pitcher fans will see all night.
The exception? Hunter Watkins (Oklahoma State).
That was the case on Sunday night, as the 6-foot-9 Watkins made the start for Y-D, tossing three scoreless innings on just 33 pitches and helping propel the Red Sox to a 7-2 victory over the Firebirds. Watkins was with Y-D last season and posted a stellar 0.87 WHIP across 18.1 innings in four starts. He picked up right where he left off, continuing a run of dominant outings for the Red Sox.
The senior now owns a 1.71 ERA across two years with Y-D and understands the opportunity that comes with playing in the CCBL.
“Knowing that everyone's good out here, and just remembering it's just the same game as when we were younger,” Watkins said. “[The Cape League is] not just a place; it kind of reminds you of summer ball when you're having fun as a kid. At the end of the day, it's just a game.”
The game for Watkins feels simple. He got ahead of counts in the first inning, allowing one hit but showing no signs of danger, getting out of the first in 11 pitches. The second inning started shakily as he allowed a single and hit Adrian Beltre Jr., but he responded by striking out two batters and picking Beltre Jr. off first base.
“My fastball worked really well,” Watkins said. “Getting in the zone very often was helping, which got them to chase eventually. With the two runs that we scored in the first inning, I knew I had to keep the zeroes and get our bats up quick.”
Watkins looks like he has stilts on when he’s pitching, and his extension can deceive hitters at times. He doesn’t come from a particularly tall family. His mother, Denise, is 5-foot-6, and his father, Johnny, stands 6 feet tall — the same height Watkins was in sixth grade. Y-D manager Scott Pickler appreciates how grown he is not only physically, but mentally as well.
“He’s one of those guys that was so mature and such a good teammate when he got here last year. He knows what he's got to do way beyond his age. He is exactly what pro scouts are looking at,” Pickler said. “He's picked up velocity, and his make-up is off the charts. There’s no negative with Hunter.”
Watkins picked up his third and final strikeout of the night in the third frame, getting out of the inning on only nine pitches. Taylor Penn (Arizona State) followed with two innings of relief and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. Florida State teammates Cade O'Leary and Rhett Vaughn combined to finish the game.
“Hunter goes out there and gives us three innings, and he was around the zone the whole time,” Pickler said. “He's so confident and relaxed out there. He believes in himself, and he's the real deal. I’m excited for him.”
The Red Sox pitching staff has put together a promising start to the season. Y-D is one of three teams to start 2-0 this season (Falmouth and Cotuit) and has the second-lowest walk total. Y-D faces Falmouth in an undefeated matchup at Red Wilson Field on Monday at 5 p.m., where you might find Watkins walking around selling 50-50 raffle tickets.
“The coaching staff always reminds me to have fun,” Watkins said. “There's gonna always be ups and downs, and games are never gonna go the way that you want them to, but if I keep my head down and keep working, we're gonna be coming out on top.”
