Carson Hobbs

In the same way Alabama Rolls through opponents on Autumn afternoons, Right-handed reliever, Carson Hobbs, is starting to roll through minor-league hitters, and he is just getting started. Hobbs has a blistering fastball that is approaching 100, a slider that has become a centerpiece, and a curveball that hitters don’t hit very often. And he finished last year, 2024, his first professional season rolling, just like his Tide back home.

Background

Hobbs grew up in Alabaster Alabama and played for a Hall of Fame coach, Pat Hamrick, and in a program that knows nothing other than winning at Thompson. He played Short Stop on one of the best teams in the State of Alabama, but despite being a pitcher with the Dodgers now, he actually didn’t pitch much while in High school. 

His transition to the bump didn’t happen until he got to College at Samford. 

So, the Head Coach at Samford at the time was Casey Dunn, and he told me I could come in and try to hit, but we want you to pitch. And so I just kind of made that executive decision on my own to put all my eggs in the pitching basket and go 2 feet in all the way and pursue it with all I had. Luckily it has worked out pretty well so far. 

Samford

Hobbs is another success story in a long line for the Scouting and Development of the Dodgers, because, after a very good Sophomore season at Samford, he had to shut down his Junior Year after 11.2 Innings due to Tommy John. In fact, when the Dodgers drafted him, Hobbs had thrown less than 50 innings at the Collegiate level, very little at the High School level, and was in the middle of recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The folks who dug into this young man, researched, and pulled their triggers on him deserve a lot of credit. As they always do, they saw his potential, they understood the intangibles behind his talent, and, like it usually does, that work is bearing fruit, more and more by the day.

Here’s Hobbs on the Tommy John and limited pitching experience

I faced my first hitter I think exactly a year after I had surgery. I had surgery on April 6th of 2023, then faced my first hitter on April 6th of 2024 in extended Spring Training. 

In all honesty, I kind of knew I was going to get drafted because the lines of communication throughout the injury process were so good. Once I got injured, the Dodgers were one of the few teams that actually stuck with me and kept an open mind. They’re so good at bringing guys in and basically building pitchers from scratch again, so I’m really blessed that they gave me this opportunity, and it’s been a great fit.

High-Leverage

Hobbs loves the adrenaline of the big moments, so when he was transitioned to the closer role at Samford, it fit him like a glove. Closing games, as he put it, “is an adrenaline rush you can’t find anywhere else.”.

So, beyond the high-leverage stuff, he also takes a high-leverage mentality with him to the mound every time he pitches. But, much like every Minor Leaguer, his process hasn’t always been linear, and there were some great adjustments he learned he had to make to consistently get professional hitters out.

He especially learned that lesson moving from Single-A Rancho to High A Great Lakes. 

While that transition had a rocky start, it finished with a smooth finish and created a ton of momentum heading into 2024. Hobbs made several adjustments, mostly in terms of his approach, and, with a smile, here’s what he had to say about that. 

I gave up a home run on my first pitch in High A so it was definitely a baptism by fire. Yeah, that transition was tough, and my first 3 outings were rough, but then I had a really good conversation with DA, the pitching coach, and he was big in getting that Monkey off my back. 

Hobbs continued about the plan that was put in place

So, we went over a bunch of numbers and simplified my game plan, and that’s where everything started lining back up and success started to happen. 

And, success definitely did happen as Hobbs had a dominant month of July, then, beyond 1 outlier performance in August, posted a 2.55 ERA from the beginning of July forward.

Mix and Approach 

Pitch Mix: Hobbs features a fastball that is likely to touch 100 MPH in the very near future, a slider that is a “centerpiece” type pitch, and a curveball that he mainly uses for “swing and miss”, but also, on needed occasions, uses it to “steal” strikes. 

4-Seam Fastball:  Here’s a good look at his 4-seam fastball, with Hobbs himself explaining how he uses it. He uses his it in a North/South approach, attacking hitters at the top and bottom of the zone, and has almost completely eliminated the East/West element to his approach. In other words, it’s the classic “power arm” approach, where harder is better, and spin rate carries the ball past barrels at the top of the zone, and then surprises hitters that his pitches at the bottom carry the zone for strikes. 

Slider: Hobbs started using his slider more when he moved up to High A Great Lakes because he had to as hitters got more selective. In fact, it pretty much became a centerpiece of his arsenal.

Curveball: Hobbs also features a curveball, that has a similar shape to his slider, but that is just bigger in break. That is very effective, because he throws his slider for a strike a lot, so, when hitters see the “shape type”, it makes them think slider, and puts them in “swing mode”. That’s when the curveball breaks out of the zone and hitters swing and miss. 

Get Ready for Him to ROLL!

To think of just how little Hobbs has actually pitched, but yet, how advanced he already is in his approach and execution is very exciting. It suggests that, as many strides as he’s already made, he’s just now touching the tip of the iceberg. So, stay tuned to this young man as he continues to develop because every element is there for him to become a high-leverage reliever that you need to know about. 

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