It’s easy to get overlooked playing in League 9 of Suffolk County. The overall level of competition is not on par with Class AA or A, so college coaches will have a hard time seeing the value in sitting through games in hopes of finding a diamond in the rough.
Except sometimes there is that diamond out here.
Enter Joe Wozny.
The 15-year-old freshman at Stony Brook HS is turning heads with his 88-MPH fastball and 74 MPH curve. I watched him pitch in the Dominican Republic and he fired three shutout innings with 4 strikeouts against some of the most talented amateur baseball players in the world. His performance bypassed the “he’s good for his age” and went right into the category of “this is the real deal.”
In his first start of the season yesterday, he held a no-hitter into the seventh inning before allowing a double but finishing the complete game shutout with 12 strikeouts.
The kid is hungry to get noticed.
“Playing in a small school gives me confidence. It will make me want to throw three no-hitters,” he said. That type of dominance is usually what it takes to turn heads in that league.
Teams are starting to notice.
On top of the local schools, there has also been interest from Arizona State, Georgia and South Carolina. Then there’s the professional teams. He noted that MLB scouts have begun to follow him on Twitter and “like” his content.
Just like his favorite MLB pitchers Justin Verlander and Marcus Stroman, he has a tremendous work ethic. He worked hard in the offseason on improving his explosiveness by running backyards, using a row machine, biking everyday and other baseball-specific training with Dana Cavalea of ML Strength.
The early returns are there. He added five MPH to his fastball from 83 MPH last summer and now he is well-ahead of schedule for players of his age group. At a recent Perfect Game showcase he was named one of the top 20 players in the 2020 graduating class nationwide.
He has amassed many travel miles going showcase to showcase in front of scouts at Baseball Factory, Perfect Game and Under Armour tournaments all over the country. In this generation of year-round showcases for all age groups, Wozny has taken advantage of every resource available.
Entering 2017, he was named Pre-Season All-American by Under Armour.
While some people may discount the level of competition, fastball velocity is still paramount at every level of baseball and Wozny has put himself firmly on the radar of college coaches and MLB scouts alike.
Keep an eye on the young pitcher who will certainly be a name to watch in the coming years.
