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Journey To The Show: Rowan Wick

As the feud between MLB owners and the MLBPA has come to an apparent resolution, for now, players from all over the world are making their way to their respective cities to begin Spring—uh, Summer Training, to prepare for a July 23rd or 24th start to the COVID-19 shortened 2020 MLB season. 

Among those players packing up their cars and heading to their home-club cities is Vancouver BC native, Rowan Wick, of the Chicago Cubs. Wick is in the early stages of what is beginning to pan out to be a successful career as a late-inning reliever. A member of the new wave of power arms, Wick sits in the high 90s, with an absolute banger of a curveball, and a couple other workshop pitches in the mix. As is the case with a steady amount of modern right-handed power relievers, Wick generally thrives with a high-spin rate fastball at the top of the zone, usually in the 2700s, and tunnels off a tumbling hammer that can sing "head, shoulders, knees and toes" all in 3/10ths of a second. In what turned into his first sample size with any weight in the Major Leagues, 2019 saw Wick throw 33.1 IP over 31 games, striking out 35 and posting a 2.43 ERA. The only blip on Wick’s record so far came in his 4th ever appearance back in 2018 with the Padres, before getting dealt to Chicago in the offseason, where he gave up 5 ER, including a grand slam, against the Reds, his only home run given up in the MLB. There are rumours that the Canadian Cub is next in line for the closing job, waiting for all-time great Craig Kimbrel to exit stage left. This report has some plausibility given that Wick recorded two saves in 2019 and saw the majority of his time in impact innings coming down the stretch in August and September. 

Time will tell if Wick can sustain this small sample size in the Show, but having seen first-hand his desire for perfection in the 'pen, as well as his willingness to learn from others, my bets are backing Wick. After all, he made the most significant adjustment once already, switching from Position Player to Pitcher in the minor leagues.

Wick was selected in the 9th round in 2012 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Cypress College as a Catcher. 

There is a case to be made about Catcher's making it in the Major Leagues on the bump *cough* Kenley Jansen *cough*, who knows why. One theory could be that they can play the brain game in their approach, use tools acquired through catching to help them pitch; another theory is that they have arms closer accustomed to the wear and tear that pitchers go through on the daily. My opinion is that Catchers are inherently selfless. No one notices a good Catcher until they do something terrible, or unless they rake. That fabric lends to the ability to check one's ego and make necessary changes. When Wick was told he wasn't going to catch anymore and was moved to the outfield in 2014, he responded not by sulking about losing his desired position, but instead slugged 20 home runs in 74 games boasting out a .990 OPS. After a video game-like season across two levels in 2014, the former Cardinals farmhand was promoted to the Florida State League, where he had difficulty getting above the Mendoza-line. He was then told he was no longer going to be considered as a hitter. Wick once again, did not sulk, and made the transition to the bump that same year, only recording a couple innings, and worked throughout the offseason to reinvent himself as a pitcher. Over two leagues, including the Texas League, Wick earned a combined 2.44 ERA in his first-ever full season as a pitcher, throwing 44 games and striking 57. Fast forward a couple of more successful seasons in the Minors, one trade from the Cardinals to the Padres (which adds even more motivation for him in the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry), and a Major League call-up, we find ourselves in 2020.

Those watching Wick on Television would probably never guess the turbulence that he overcame in the minors to get where he is now. Fans probably see 98 at the top of the zone and think, “wow, I wish the universe blessed me like that.” Alternatively, some may know his story, and teach it as a tale of triumph and fighting friction, an outlier. What most do not realize is; that’s just the Canadian way. We don’t get discouraged by the bumpy road, that's the one we travelled. I know one thing; I’ll be tuning into more Cubs broadcasts this year.