Raab topping at 88 MPH today pic.twitter.com/PVdE6H91mx
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 18, 2020
When you are pitching on the same staff as other established arms like Rafe Schlesinger, Tommy Ventimiglia, Dylan Johnson and Jacob Steinmetz, it can be hard to garner all the attention. But 6’5 RHP J.T. Raab (MacArthur 2021) has certainly turned heads with his performance this summer and fall for the Long Island Titans-Quattrini. The No. 1 ranked 2021 team in the region had an outstanding summer, and finished off with a bang at the Northeast Elite Tournament.
For the year, Raab posted an unblemished record of 9-0 with a 0.49 ERA. As if that’s not impressive enough, his peripheral numbers were even more astounding. He struck out 12.7 batters per 9, allowed 2.6 hits per 9, walked 2.3 batters per 9, and a WHIP of 0.56. Opposing batters hit just .090 against him.
In July, he committed to Stony Brook University. He will form a formidable duo with Ventimiglia in a couple years. As for next year, he will enter 2021 as one of the early favorites for the Diamond Award. I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say…
Was baseball always your No. 1 sport and did you play any other sports competitively?
Baseball has always been my number one sport. I started playing when I was just three years old and has been my favorite sport to play and watch since then. I played basketball competitively for many years but stopped recently since I lost interest and did not want to risk injuring myself to the point where I could miss baseball. I focus on baseball all year long.
Who are some people that have been the biggest influences in your career?
My dad has been training and working with me ever since I started playing baseball. He coaches me through little league baseball and taught me so many things that made me a better baseball player throughout my younger years. Coming to the Long Island Titans organization when I was 14 was one of the best decisions of my life and changed my baseball career drastically. I improved greatly over the last few years because of the competition I was facing and the teammates I was playing with. Playing in an environment like that makes it hard not to improve. Travis Quattrini has been a huge influence in my career due to his constant effort to improve every player and team that he coaches and I am grateful and was so lucky to have him as a coach over the last three years.
Do you work with any private instructors?
No, I do not work with any private instructors. I have relied on myself and my coaches to better myself over the last few years.
Can you explain your experience with the college recruiting process and why you chose Stony Brook?
With COVID-19 cancelling the high school season and stopping many college coaches from being able to see players in person, it was a very odd experience with the college recruiting process and different than any year preceding it. I was always getting video from games and practices starting in May to send to the coaches that showed interest in recruiting me. The only way I communicated with coaches was through text and call since I could not see them in person. I got multiple offers over the course of a few weeks and ended up committing to Stony Brook. Stony Brook was always a school I had interest in attending and playing baseball at and once the coaches there started showing interest in me and offered me a spot on their team, I took it. I can’t wait until I get to play college baseball under the great coaching staff at Stony Brook.
You had an outstanding summer going 9-0 with a 0.49 ERA ERA. What is like bein in such a groove and in your estimation what allowed you to be so successful this summer and fall?
Being in this groove throughout the summer and fall allowed me to develop more and more confidence on the mound each start. Even on days that I didn’t feel like I had my best stuff I still knew I was able to work through it and put my team in a position to win when I was pitching. I worked as hard as I ever did over the past off-season and during the time we had off in the spring to put myself in shape to be successful for the year. Staying in shape and taking care of my arm during the summer also helped me stay consistent throughout the entire year. Also, being surrounded by many great players and pitchers allowed me to improve myself every start and learn more and more every day.
What do you plan on working on this off-season?
I plan on resting my arm and stop throwing until about January or February until I start my preseason throwing program with my school. During the off-season I plan to become much stronger and more explosive so I can increase my velocity and become a much better pitcher overall.
What are your goals for 2021?
I haven’t really set many goals for the 2021 season, but I definitely hope that the high school baseball season happens so I can enjoy it as much as possible and win a County Championship and hopefully the Diamond Award as well. For the summer, my goal is to keep improving every day before I got to college in the fall.
Who are your favorite players in Major League Baseball?
My favorite Major League Baseball players are Jacob deGrom, Gerrit Cole and Walker Buehler. I look up to these pitchers as my role models because I love the way they pitch and how they play the game.
Favorite app on your phone?
My favorite app on my phone is probably YouTube.
Favorite holiday?
My favorite holiday is either Christmas or Thanksgiving. I don’t really have a preference.
Favorite place to get a slice of pizza?
I love pizza so I would get pizza from anywhere, but I would probably go with Domino’s or Pizza Hut.
Favorite vacation spot?
My favorite vacation spot is anywhere I can play baseball.
