Stacey King
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MWL All-Star Notes: Stewart Continues Making Rapid Progress For Twins
COMSTOCK PARK, Mich.—Low Class A Cedar Rapids righthander Kohl Stewart could have gone on to play football last fall at Texas A&M. The two-sport standout at St. Pius X High in Houston had committed to the Aggies, and perhaps with the right twist of fate, he could have become the next Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
Stewart’s statistics as a prep football player, after all, were impressive: 8,803 yards and 87 touchdowns in three seasons as a starting quarterback.
Of course, Stewart was also a blue-chip recruit in baseball and planned to play that sport for the Aggies as well. But after a stellar senior season on the mound, baseball scouts took notice, and the fate of Stewart shifted dramatically.
The Twins made Stewart the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft and convinced him to turn pro with a $4.5 million bonus.
“I wanted to go to A&M. I was looking forward to that,” Stewart said. “But the Twins gave me a great opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I’m extremely happy with the choice I made. I’m having fun with pro baseball . . . but I didn’t expect things to happen as quickly as they did.
“That senior year was a whirlwind year. I got lucky. I am blessed to be where I am at today.”
Stewart represented the Western Division at the Midwest League all-star game, and while the 6-foot-3, 205-pound righthander didn’t pitch in his team’s 7-0, he enjoyed the experience.
“It’s cool to come out here and have a chance to be a part of this game,” Stewart said. “I was able to meet players from other teams and just have fun with it.”
It’s easy to forget Stewart is just 19 when he talks about life as a minor league player and the road ahead to the majors.
“There are always expectations because everyone wants to get to the major leagues,” Stewart said. “Everyone wants to be as good as they can and move up as quickly as they can, but you just have to take it day by day. Other guys have pressure on them, too. We are all in the same boat.
“Nothing happens overnight. It’s a long journey and you have to earn your spot in every league.”
Stewart emerged from the clubhouse an hour before batting practice before the all-star game still dressed in a shirt and pair of jeans. The only hint that he was one of the best prospects in the MWL was the official all-star hat he put on after it was handed to him during an interview.
Through his first 12 starts at Cedar Rapids, Stewart went 1-3, 2.44—he ranked fifth in the league ERA race—logging 41 strikeouts in 59 innings while allowing 45 hits and 20 walks for a 1.10 WHIP. His success all begins with a willingness to improve, and he plans to continue that improvement in the second half.
“I want to try and build on every start,” Stewart said. “I’ve worked a lot with the pitching coach and my goal is to come out each start and be a little better than I was before.”
Stewart didn’t really take to pitching full time until his sophomore year of high school. Now he’s a prospect with a ton of promise and a dream to one day be in the big league spotlight. But what will he have to improve on to make that dream come true?
“Everything,” Stewart said. “There isn’t any part of my game I can’t get better at. Every day, every moment, every outing, I have to focus on getting better command of my pitches, throwing strikes, pounding the zone and getting ahead of batters to put them away. I have a lot of work to do, but I’ll keep at it to make my dream come true.”
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