Imagine a pitcher who can predict his pitches like a psychic, painting the corners with pinpoint accuracy. That’s not science fiction, folks. That’s Marcus Stroman, and the Chicago Cubs’ Senior Pitching Coordinator, Casey Jacobson, who has been his front-row observer. An exclusive EssentiallySports interview gives us a chance to delve into the fascinating world of two-time All-Star ace Stroman’s body awareness and control, guided by Jacobson’s expert insights.
Jacobson paints a picture of Stroman as a master of his craft; his “process is as dialed in” as Jacobson thinks “anyone (he’s) ever seen.” The secret sauce? An almost preternatural understanding of his body. “He knows what he’s trying to do with the baseball… pretty much every time he’s throwing it,” Jacobson reveals. Can you imagine calling your pitches like a superhero? Stroman can.
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The Wizard of Wrigley: Unveiling Marcus Stroman’s secrets with Chicago Cubs’ master Casey Jacobson
“He can say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna make this one sweep more; I’m gonna make this one go more down,’ and, like, he does it,” Jacobson marvels in the EssentiallySports Exclusive. But this “next-level skill” isn’t just magic.
It’s years of dedication, “a lot of hard work, and you know, a lot of reflection, and an awareness of what makes him successful,” as Casey puts it. Marcus Stroman’s success transcends the mound; he’s a “good dude” whom Jacobson admires. But for Casey, the real treat is learning from the Wizard of Wrigley.
Jacobson’s not just watching in awe; he’s absorbing every nuance. “Hopefully it’ll help me as we help the next, you know, waves of pitchers develop,” he says. He’s translating Stroman’s magic into methods, gleaning “ideas for how we can help those next group of guys in the minor leagues to control their bodies better.” So, what exactly is the secret of Marcus Stroman’s controlled pitching mechanisms?
Jacobson hints at hidden gems beyond the spotlight in the EssentiallySports Exclusive. “There’s just stuff that he does that, that’s so… um, so interesting and so good, that, you know, even as you build uh body control, like those stuff that he’s doing, that you don’t rarely ever see, ’cause it’s maybe not on camera, which is just in his day to day, his throwing program or whatever.” Intrigued?
You bet! Casey’s got us wanting more eagerly to peek into Marcus Stroman’s hidden training manual. He is a baseball anomaly, and Jacobson is on a mission to translate his magic into the next generation of pitching phenoms.
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“I am super excited to see what he can do with New York,” Casey reflects, further revealing that from his “vantage point, you know, I’m more of like, watching him, um, and learning from him, and then kind of just observing his process.”
With the New York Yankees ushering into a new era with the likes of Stroman on their rotation, it certainly looks like the future of pitching is about to get a whole lot more fascinating in 2024.
Written by
Edited by
Arunima Bhanot