Championship-caliber teams have leaders who lead by example, set high standards, and leave but 2 choices, in or out.
And there is no in-between.
Michael Hobbs is a right-handed pitcher in the Dodgers organization that knows all about that leadership process because he’s been through it, he’s lived it, he knows how to use it, and, because of it, he’s almost made it.
To the Major Leagues!
The Process of Winning
Hobbs grew up in Corona, California, and learned how to compete at an early age. His High School Coach, Andy Wise, was one of the original dirtbags from the Long Beach State team that played in the College World Series, and then he also played for the Cubs in the MLB. Wise built a very competitive environment that taught his players how to win, and also how to hold each other accountable. Getting on the field was not easy, and the older players led by example.
“Coach Wise was the man and he really knows what he is doing so he was a huge part of it. The older guys were a huge part too though. Seth Kaneen and Tristan Beck were guys that were Juniors when I was coming in as a Freshman, and to be honest, they simply laid down the law. They showed everyone what’s right and what’s wrong, and if you did something that was wrong they would let you know about it.”
“Our biggest thing was to win at all cost and that’s kind of how it is with the Dodgers so it was awesome being brought up in that kind of atmosphere with those older guys taking charge and leading the way.”
Hobbs earned letters in his last 3 seasons at Corona but it wasn’t until his Junior Season that he made his biggest impact. As a Junior, he hit .376, then backed that up his Senior year by hitting .364 with 27 RBIs.
His offense was very good, but his calling card was on the mound.
As a pitcher, he posted ERAs that were below 2.00 in every year starting with his Sophomore season, and as a Senior he posted an ERA of just 1.08 and had 76 strikeouts. That’s obviously very good in and of itself, but when you factor in the competition he was pitching against, it becomes infinitely more impressive.
Hobbs is known as a “gamer” and he attributes a lot of that to having to earn all of his playing time in High School.
“Honestly, it stems from High School and from those older guys. I was definitely not thrown into the biggest moments right away. I didn’t play as a Freshman at Corona, my Sophomore year I was coming out of the pen, and I didn’t get the biggest taste of it until I was a Junior. So I think the sense of having to claw my way up on that team is definitely where me becoming a “gamer” stems from.
“Everyone wants to pitch in the biggest moments and in the biggest games, and, honestly, I’ve learned to understand that, whatever the situation is, it kind of stays the same the whole time. I don’t get extra “geeked” up if we’re up 1 or if we’re up 10, it’s the same all the way through.”
St. Mary’s
After High School, Hobbs chose St. Mary which, ironically, was very similar to Corona in the sense that the roster was loaded. St. Mary’s produced Tony Gonsolin and Corbin Burnes, and also had Tom Candiotti’s sons, Casey and Clark, on its roster when Hobbs arrived on campus.
Greg Moore had just taken the reins for the Gaels and he is widely known as a program builder. Moore came from Cal State Northridge where he built probably the best 4-year span in the history of the school, so Hobbs knew he was going to be playing for a winner.
To add to the appeal, Josh Nashed was the Gael’s pitching coach and he brought with him his own resume of success. Nashed played in the Indians organization and specializes in teaching pitchers how to compete so Hobbs knew he’d be surrounded by great players, great coaches, and a competitive environment.
And that made him feel right at home.
Hobbs pitched in all 4 seasons as a Gael and overcame a season-ending injury his Junior year before posting 6 saves, a 1.00 WHIP, and a 0.72 ERA as a Senior. He recorded 25 saves for his career at St. Mary’s which made him the All-Time saves leader in the school’s illustrious history of baseball.
He proved himself, again, to be a “gamer”.
The Dodgers drafted him in the 10th Round of the 2021 Draft. and he was so well-liked by his coaches and teammates at St. Mary’s, that they celebrated with him when he got drafted. Here’s what his Head Coach at St. Mary’s had to say about Hobbs when he got drafted.
“Michael is the rare mix of a professional worker and a genuinely good teammate. Every one of his coaches and teammates was fist pumping when Michael was taken by the Dodgers.”
Hometown Dodgers
Hobbs grew up in Corona, California which is less than 50 miles from Dodgers Stadium, so you can imagine how excited he was when he heard his name called. You can also imagine how excited he was to have been drafted in any round, but, with it being the 10th, he, quite possibly, was the biggest steal of the 2021 Draft. Although the 10th Round is certainly not an excessively low Round, his competitiveness, grit, work ethic, and character are equal parts to his Track Record and talent, so he is a top-shelf prospect.
When asked if he pitches with a chip on his shoulder based on where he got drafted, knowing he was the All-Time saves leader at St. Mary’s, this is what he had to say.
“I think I always play with a chip on my shoulder, and I don’t think being drafted in the 10th Round has too much to do with it. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect going into the draft so I’m honestly just kind of happy and thankful that it worked out the way it did.”
2022
Hobbs was assigned to High A Great Lakes in 2022 and it didn’t take him long to settle in and get comfortable. After a bit of a slow start in April posting a 5.59 ERA, he was lights out in May and was starting to round into his usual form as a shut-down high-leverage bullpen arm. But, after posting an ERA of just 2.45 in May, a batting average against of just .184, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 6 to 1, he was sidelined with inflammation in his arm for a period of time that was quite a bit longer than expected.
Hobbs made 1 return appearance in June but was ultimately forced to shut things down all the way until August 30 after that appearance.
It was a frustrating situation on several levels.
First of all, he was throwing great when he was put on the IL, and then, also, in his mind, he never expected the inflammation he was experiencing to keep him out that long. Here’s what he had to say about that period of time.
“Yeah, the injury itself was actually super annoying, to say the least. I’ve had surgery before, so I know what that’s like with the full rehab process and all that sort of stuff. But after we got it checked out it was just inflammation so there was nothing structurally wrong and we were happy about that, but it had been nagging for so long and it had taken so long to clear up.”
“That was the most frustrating part because, in my head, I was telling myself that I wasn’t injured and that I just had a little whatever it is, and then it ended up taking longer than I had planned.”
Hobbs made it back to pitch in 4 games total at the end of the season and picked up right where he left off. In 4 outings to finish 2022, he threw 4.2 innings, gave up no runs, had an average against of .071, and a WHIP of 0.82. After all of the frustration of waiting out a nagging injury, Hobbs was super glad he got to return in 2022 and finish with his team, especially with as well as he pitched. Here’s what he had to say about his return.
“I was happy the way that I was able to come back and feel better from the injury to finish the season. It definitely would have sucked, you know, if I would have done all of that and pushed too close to the line and didn’t get to finish up with the boys up there in Midland. Obviously, it was frustrating but I was glad how I came back for those last couple of weeks.”
Feature Cut
Slider
Hobbs slider has late life, a lot of movement, and is a legit swing-and-miss pitch.
Bottom of the Zone
Although Hobbs is using the top of the zone more, and it has been very effective, he still has a natural ability to tail the ball away from lefties and give them a sinker look. He is able to do that while using the bottom of the zone as if it’s natural, which helps him get both right-handers and left-handers out.
He’s a Gamer
I’ve mentioned several times in this article that, although Hobbs is very talented, his best trait might be that he is a “gamer”. The fact that he is the all-time saves leader in the history of Saint Mary’s speaks to that, and so does this next sequence. Earlier in 2022, Hobbs won an 11-pitch battle, and what you’ll notice is that he never gives in.
Finishing Up
Hobbs has a lot of natural qualities that you simply can’t teach. His competitive nature, his ability to lower his pulse in the big moments, and the fact that he simply never gives in to hitters are traits that are going to take him a long way. He has used analytical data to determine what works best for him and it has worked.
The only thing that has ever gotten in his way has been injuries, both as a Junior in College and this past season with the Loons. Each time he has been faced with injury, however, he has dominated the rehab process and has come back stronger than ever.
So the way he has handled those situations eliminates all concerns, in my opinion.
2023 will be an exciting year for Hobbs as he will almost certainly get promoted to AA Tulsa, hopefully, sooner than later, and I can’t wait because I’ll get to see him pitch with my own eyes.
In closing, I would like to thank Michael for joining Dodgers Daily and spending time letting Dodgers fans get to know him a little better. Having seen him pitch in College, then this past year with the Loons, I was very excited to get to speak to him, and it was a great pleasure to do so. Michael has a very, very bright future and Dodgers Daily will be rooting for him all along the way.
