Sep. 12—Connor Seabold had just gotten hosed. Facing Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu with two men on and one out in the third, the rookie delivered a perfect strike low and inside for what should have been strike three, but the umpire wouldn’t give it to him.
No problem. Two pitches later he got the reigning American League MVP to ground into an inning-ending double play, and once back in the dugout he allowed himself a deep breath.
He’d just survived his big league debut.
Facing one of baseball’s best lineups in the middle of a heated playoff race, the 25-year-old was called into emergency duty to bolster Boston’s COVID-19 ravaged pitching staff. While shaky at times, Seabold got the job done, pitching three solid innings while allowing two runs on a home run by Leury Garcia.
The Red Sox would go on to win 9-8 in a 10-inning thriller.
“I don’t think it’s really sunk in what really happened tonight, but that was a fun game, top to bottom,” Seabold said afterwards. “I’m still reeling from the energy and everything and helping the team get a win.”
His debut obviously wasn’t supposed to come in such a high pressure spot, but the Red Sox have been high on Seabold for a while now.
Acquired alongside Nick Pivetta in exchange for relievers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree last August, Seabold is considered one of the top prospects in the Red Sox system and someone who could potentially compete for a rotation slot next spring.
So who is Seabold exactly? Teammates and coaches described an affable teammate with the talent and confidence to go up against anyone.
Good vibes only
Earlier this week when asked about Seabold, Red Sox rookie relief pitcher Garrett Whitlock‘s face lit up.
“He was the very first person I met with the Red Sox,” Whitlock said. “We came in early for camp and Seabold was in there too because he’d also never been to Fort Myers. We were throwing partners the first day and we connected right away, me and him have very similar personalities and he’s just a really great guy and a really good pitcher.”
Whitlock’s reaction to Seabold wasn’t unique, by all accounts he’s incredibly popular with teammates throughout the organization. Those who have played with him in Triple-A recently all described him as a great clubhouse guy who brings a relaxed, laid back vibe to the ballpark.
“He’s just a real chill guy overall, when it comes to everything,” said infielder Jonathan Araúz. “Whether it’s on the field or off the field, that’s just the type of guy that he is.”
“If you follow him on any social media he loves music, loves talking about music,” said pitcher Tanner Houck. “He’s a fun laid back guy to just be around and to hang out and talk.”
A man with an expansive taste, Seabold regularly posts a variety of songs to his Instagram story. Some of Seabold’s selections from this week included “Skate” by Silk Sonic and “We Got the Noise” by Donots, a song most famous within the baseball community for its inclusion in the cult classic video game “MVP Baseball 2005.”
“It’s fun, it’s given me a nice taste of some music that I never would have found without him,” Houck said.
Exceeding expectations
Following his trade Seabold spent last summer at the Red Sox alternate training site, but when he reported to Fort Myers for spring training he quickly turned heads with his better than expected mid-90s velocity.
“That pleasantly surprised me that there was a little more fastball than I thought we were going to get,” said Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush. “But he throws multiple pitches, he commands them all really well, he’s smart and he knows what he’s doing.”
In addition to his fastball, which has some impressive rising action, Seabold’s best pitch is his changeup, which SoxProspects.com described as a true major league-quality out pitch. He also throws a slider and is capable of throwing all three for strikes.
Seabold started the season on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, but since his return in late July he’s been outstanding. In eight starts with Triple-A Worcester Seabold has posted an ERA of 3.67 over 41.2 innings with 44 strikeouts against just 13 walks. He’s held opponents to a .201 average and has had three starts with six or more scoreless innings, including one hit over six innings in his last Triple-A outing against Rochester.
“He’s real deal in my opinion,” Houck said. “He’s got three or four pitches that he all throws for strikes and he’s truly devastating whenever he’s out there on the mound.”
“He’s going to fill up the zone, he’s going to go right at guys, he’s got unreal carry on his fastball and he’s got a really good changeup,” Whitlock said. “He’s a bulldog out on that mound and he goes right after people.”
He certainly didn’t back down against Abreu on Saturday, and whether it’s again later this fall or sometime next spring, Seabold should have plenty more chances to prove himself with the Red Sox going forward.
Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com. Twitter: @MacCerullo.
Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com. Twitter: @MacCerullo.