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CarL Lynchburg Hillcats

Rookie out of Florida State Navigates his First Year in the Minors

June 14, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


As the second round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft wound down, left-handed pitcher Parker Messick's phone began to ring.

If the call was from his agent, he knew exactly what the call was about. As he read the caller ID, Messick's suspicions were confirmed. His agent informed him the Cleveland Guardians would be selecting him with pick number 54.

With family and friends gathered around him in his grandparents' house, Messick laid out hats from the next five teams in the draft instead of telling everyone what ballclub would be selecting him. After the call, his loved ones knew the pick was imminent, but Messick didn't want to spoil the surprise and thrill of the moment.

"I jokingly would lean towards the hat that was about to be called even though I knew it wasn't me," Messick said.

With a room full of phone cameras tracking Messick, everyone was anxiously waiting to hear his name. It would only take a couple of minutes before the Guardians were on the clock. As Messick's name was read, the room erupted with cheers and shouts of joy.

Soon after the draft, Messick headed out West to the Guardians' player development complex in Arizona. He said he was grateful to have been picked by Cleveland with their track record of developing their pitchers.

According to this year's MLB Pipeline Poll, an overwhelming majority (46%) of MLB executives voted the Guardians as the team who develops the best pitchers. The second closest team was the Los Angeles Dodgers at 11%.

Messick said he has been learning more about the analytical side of baseball since being drafted. He said his time with Cleveland has allowed him to better understand his pitching style.

"You have to learn that side of the game in order to know what pitches to throw and when to throw them," Messick said. "Or, you know, what's my best off-speed pitch in a two-strike count to a righty versus a lefty? So, you just really learn about yourself as a pitcher."

Messick credited the Cleveland pitching staff as he believes there has been a vast improvement in his mechanics since last summer. He said his ability to execute in different situations on the mound also improved after his time in Arizona.

While Messick said the Guardians' and Lynchburg Hillcats' development staffs have been factors in advancing his game, he emphasized the importance and role of Jimmy Belanger, his pitching coach during his time at Florida State University.

"He just let me be who I was," said Messick. "He kind of just let me embrace that and then just kind of taught me how to control it to where I could help my teammates and my friends on and off the field."

Belanger referred to his former pitcher as a servant leader. He said Messick was always willing to help his teammates develop their physical and mental approach even if it meant less downtime for him.

"He had such pull with our guys because he worked harder than anybody on our staff," Belanger said. "So, if he got on you about working, there was weight behind it."

Belanger was hired as the pitching coach at Clemson University last summer. When the Tigers were on the road facing Coastal Carolina University this year, Messick happened to be staying in the same hotel as his former coach. The Hillcats coincidentally were amid a series against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

The two quickly organized breakfast plans to catch up after realizing their proximity.

Messick explained everything to Belanger. The intense schedule and new post-game recovery routine were just a few topics of discussion. Belanger emphasized how Messick's work ethic and maturity set him apart from his peers who might not take the profession quite as seriously.

"He's on a mission," Belanger said. "He's not satisfied just being a second-rounder. He knows what his goal is. The finish line for him is getting to Cleveland and having a big-league career, not just getting to the big leagues. So, he'll do it."

At the end of the Hillcats' series in Myrtle Beach, Messick was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for week six of Minor League Baseball. In a 5-1 win over the Pelicans on May 10, Messick pitched 7.0 shutout innings and allowed for just one hit.

While there is only a small sample of Messick's pitching at the single-A level, his performances have still been very impressive. On top of a couple of other dominant showings, Messick's WHIPWalks and Hits Per Inning pitched has decreased every month, 1.54 in April and 0.87 in May.

He has only given up 13 extra base hits this year. He's also notched 47 swinging strikeouts in just 42 innings.

If Messick's time in Lynchburg and his two full seasons at Florida State is a remote indication of what his future holds, he has the potential to become a stellar ace.

Messick put up video game-like numbers at Florida State. In his redshirt freshman season with the Seminoles, he became just the second player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to win Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year honors in the same season. He went 8-2 with 126 strikeouts in 90.0 innings pitched with a 3.10 Earned Run Average.

As a member of First Team All-ACC his sophomore year, Messick ranked fifth in Division I with 144 strikeouts in 98.2 innings and finished 7-5 with a 3.38 ERA. He finished his career with the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in Florida State history, striking out 289 batters and walking just 43 times through 200.1 innings played.

On top of playing summer ball for Team USA's Collegiate National Team, the Seminoles also made it to two NCAA Tournaments during Messick's time in Tallahassee.

Messick said plenty of distractions and high expectations were present playing for a renowned program like Florida State. He emphasized the importance of his faith and how it paved the path for him to succeed at the highest level.

"God has put me in this position," Messick said. "I'm just going to play for him and then he's going to take care of everything. Like, don't get distracted with the stuff that could pull you away from doing what God's made you to do."

Belanger said he saw Messick always make himself available to teammates to help them grow in their faith and other areas of their lives. On top of Messick growing in his faith, Belanger said he saw the physical, mental and bullpen routine improvements in his first full season at Florida State.

"The guys that do that in college, when they take ownership of what they're doing, that's when you see the leaps and bounds in development," Belanger said. "They're not relying on a coach to have him tell him everything to do."

With an arm that can throw four different pitches for strikes and a determination to continue building out his game, Messick's baseball career likely won't stop in Lynchburg. While he said he occasionally will golf at London Downs or Ivy Hill with his teammates, he understands he won't be receiving a day off until his retirement rolls around.

"You realize that this is what you're doing for your career," Messick said. "You kind of have to separate the game from your life at home, and you kind of really just learn how to play baseball and live life all at the same time."

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