STRAKE JESUIT SENIOR GARRETT STRATTON TRUSTS THE PROCESS. IT’S WHAT HIS SUCCESS IS PREDICATED UPON.
“I like to focus on what I can control,” the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Rice-signee said. “That means being a better pitcher than I was last year, and that starts with being bigger, stronger, having more control, and throwing harder. Ultimately, I know if I do those things, and I feel I have, then I’m going to have even more success.”
In his first stint on varsity last season, Stratton topped out at a remarkable 94 miles per hour. The right-hander was 10-3 with a 2.29 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 73 1/3 innings in helping the Crusaders to their first State Tournament appearance.
During the offseason, he hungered for more. He worked on getting a better feel on his breaking pitches. He stressed better command.
Instead of bullying hitters, he wants more finesse and tighter location. He focused primarily on recovery, adding 5 to 10 pounds of muscle.
“I’d really like to be in position to where I can pitch deeper into our season and still be at my best,” Stratton said. “Last year, I felt like I kind of ran out of gas at the end. I feel I’m in a better place than I was last year.”
Stratton has always been a natural. As a young kid, he gravitated toward pitching.
“I could either have the ball thrown at me or throw the ball at people,” he said. “I’ve always been able to throw hard.”
In 2020, after COVID-19 canceled the baseball season, Stratton had months of doing little else but refining his pitching.
“I really fell in love with the process and made the strides I needed to make that year,” he said.
He had a standout summer with his Houston travel ball team. Rice University saw it and offered Stratton long before he’d even thrown a varsity pitch.
“I’m just doing what I can do and executing each pitch,” Stratton said. “As long as I do that, I’m confident I can have the success I want to have.”