C’s Chat – 2024 Vancouver Canadians RHP #40 Grant Rogers – C's Plus Baseball

Back on the bump with another C’s Chat with 2024 Vancouver Canadians pitcher Grant Rogers.

“I’m pretty scared of birds. That’s one of my worst fears, but go Blue Jays.”
— Grant Rogers to 12NewsNow TV in Beaumont, Texas

The Groves, Texas native admits to being afraid of birds so of course he winds up with a bird-themed baseball club in the Toronto Blue Jays.

It was certainly not a given that Rogers was going to be a pitcher growing up. He told C’s Plus Baseball when he was 11 years old, he had a bone and cartilage condition in his right elbow. “When I was told I would never pitch again, it was OCD (Osteochondritis Dissecans) of the capitellum. It was a piece of bone that did not get blood flow and it broke off.” That put his days as a righthanded pitcher on hold. Instead, Rogers threw left-handed for a while before being cleared to throw righthanded on the hill again during his sophomore year at Port Neches-Groves High School.

In addition to pitching, Rogers was also a quarterback at PN-G but he was sidelined by a growth plate issue in his right shoulder that prevented him from pitching in his junior season. However, he was able to get back on the mound for his senior season in 2019. Rogers helped PN-G reach the 5A State Playoffs and was instrumental in its Area Playoff victory to reach the regional quarterfinals.

Panola College in Carthage was Rogers’ next stop and he won both of his decisions with a 2.81 earned run average with 30 strikeouts in 25-2/3 innings in 2020 before COVID cut things short. In 2021, Rogers racked up 55 punchouts in 49-2/3 innings but his ERA went up to 5.26.

Rogers would leave the Lone Star State by transferring to McNeese State in 2022. To say his two years in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was a success would be a massive understatement. All he did was win a dozen awards, including the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2022 and 2023. He went 7-4 with a 4.26 ERA for the Cowboys in 2022 before a banner 2023 that saw him go 12-1 with a 1.82 ERA with a strikeout/walk total of 88-18 in 103-2/3 innings.

On the recommendation of scout Chris Curtis, the Toronto Blue Jays would take Rogers in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft and gave him a $150,000 signing bonus.

The Blue Jays delayed Rogers’ professional debut to 2024 due to workload concerns from college. He started out with Low-A Dunedin and put up a 2.57 ERA in April which began with four shutout frames and six punchouts at Tampa on April 11. Rogers was roughed up in May with a 5.74 ERA but the bright spot was his first professional win in which he surrendered just one run and struck out six over six innings at Fort Myers on May 9. June and July were better with ERAs of 3.93 and 3.60, respectively, including earning another win after going five innings with one earned run allowed and five strikeouts versus Clearwater on July 5.

After posting a 3.87 ERA with 106 strikeouts and 28 walks in 111-2/3 innings with Dunedin, Rogers got the call to go to Vancouver on July 30. Nat Bailey Stadium bears Grant’s surname on the field and he felt right at home on the night of his C’s debut. He trolled Tri-City with eight shutout innings and recorded nine punchouts to win his Northwest League debut on August 3. He was named the NWL Pitcher of the Week honours for August 4-10. On August 22, Rogers put together another solid start by spinning seven innings of one-run ball with six Ks in an eventual win against Everett on August 22.

Rogers shut down Eugene over six frames with eight Ks against Eugene on September 7 to finish his regular season with Monty’s Mounties with a 3.11 ERA and a 36-6 K/BB total in 37-2/3 innings. He went on to limit host Spokane to just one run and struck out five over 6-1/3 innings in the deciding Game 4 of the Northwest League Championship Series on September 14.

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C’s Plus Baseball chatted with the 23-year-old Rogers prior to the 2024 regular season finale against Eugene in September. This interview has been edited for clarity.

C’s Plus Baseball – Let’s take it back to the draft. You were an 11th-round pick in 2023 out of McNeese State. What was your draft day experience like?

Grant Rogers – Yeah, it was pretty hectic those three days, trying to get through with my family and just put me in the best situation for me to just progress and keep going. And luckily, the Blue Jays selected me in the 11th round. And what’s funny about that is that the year before that, they were the first ever team, major league team, to reach out to me. So I thought that was pretty cool and yeah, I mean, it was a great experience.

CPB – Talk about the buildup leading to the draft. You’re wondering where you’re going to go. I mean, I’m sure that’s a pretty stressful time.

GR – Yeah, I mean, going into my last college season, I was expecting to be probably an undrafted free agent, which I was okay with. I mean, I would have liked to play baseball a little bit more. And the season went on and I started doing well so I actually thought I had a chance and it’s working out perfectly here.

CPB – Before you went to McNeese State, you went to Panola Junior College. What was your experience like there those two years?

GR – It was definitely a grind. They don’t call it Juco Bandits for no reason. There was 5 a.m. tarp pulls, 5.30 a.m. lifts. It was just a grind. Honestly, it made me mentally tough. It was a long season, my first long season, and you’re trying to get out of there as quick as you can. So I was blessed to go there and for my opportunity there.

CPB – How did you wind up at McNeese State?

GR – They saw me in high school as well. I sent a recruiting email video out to scouts or recruiters. Coach Rickleson (Jim Ricklefsen), who coached at Lamar, which is my hometown university. I’ve known of him, he reached out to me, and he just made it feel like home. I didn’t even go on a visit because I lived 45 minutes from there and I’ve already seen it. It was a blessing in disguise, honestly. I couldn’t have picked a better place. It was a blessing in disguise, honestly. I couldn’t have picked a better place.

CPB – When did you get started playing baseball? Take us through the timeline that led you to Juco and then McNeese State.

GR – I’d say I was around five years old when I started. I was always bigger than everyone. And I got hurt and they told me I’d never pitch again. So I started pitching and playing baseball left-handed. Then my sophomore year of high school, they told me that I could start throwing again and pitching again and it was just a struggle getting back into it. And then my junior year, I was excited for my first full year of pitching and football off-season workouts. I fractured my growth plate in my shoulder, so I didn’t get to pitch that year. And then senior year, I kind of took on the role as, like, the back-end starter or number two starter. And then the first few games went by, and I started doing really well and I took off from there. And then junior college, the first year was a really good year before I got cut short. Then my second year at JUCO was probably one of the worst years I’ve ever had, but I’m thankful McNeese still let me go. My first year at McNeese, it was a learning process. I mean, I thought I did fairly well, and then last year, my senior year, I don’t think I could ever do it again though. It was a really cool experience.

CPB – I just wanted to touch back. So, you were throwing left-handed for a while? There was Pat Venditte, who was a switch-pitcher. Is that something you could do again?

GR – I could possibly. I could still do it right now. But once they told me I could start throwing right-handed again, I just kind of put it in my back pocket. But sometimes you’ll see me throw out here left-handed a little bit.

CPB – You mentioned your right shoulder injury. How did that happen?

GR – We were doing mat drills during football and I landed on it.

CPB – Okay, so you get through McNeese State, you get drafted and you go to draft camp. I’m sure you got introduced to a lot of people there but what do you remember about your draft camp experience?

GR – I definitely remember our mental performance coach Raul (Raul Pimentel). He was always upbeat and energetic and I really liked that. Just learning the place, it took me about a week at least to figure out where everything was. All the coaches and staff were very helpful with that so thanks to them. It was just fun overall. I enjoyed it. We had this little obstacle course the last day, that was pretty cool. And we had to do a little dance off. I liked that.

CPB – You didn’t get to pitch (in 2023). After you come off a long college season, you had a lot of innings on your arm. I guess it was almost kind of like a red shirt season in a way in pro ball but what did you learn about your first taste of pro ball? I’m sure you probably saw FCL (Florida Complex League) or Duneidn games.

GR – Yeah, they made us go to one of the Dunedin games. TD Ballpark is amazing, it’s awesome. It was cool because like everyone’s there for a reason. This is your job and people are actually taking it serious and that’s what I like about baseball. They’re competitive. I know sometimes like some people think that it’s just me, me, me. I’m trying to get moved up type of business. But in all honesty, I mean, if you want to get moved up, you have to play well as well as your team playing well. That’s all I want to do is win. That’s my main concern or main want to do.

CPB – The Player Development Complex. What did you think of it when you first arrived and was there maybe anything you learned about yourself the way you pitch, whether it be your mechanics or arm angle?

GR – I mean, McNeese was great. Then the hurricane ruined everything, kind of our facility and we didn’t have that much stuff. But going to the PDC, I’ve never seen anything like that in my entire life. There was always snacks there. There was always food. I learned a lot of stuff pitching-wise that I needed to work on. Definitely in the weight room, which I have really focused on a lot, just trying to get stronger and all-around muscle, lose some body fat. They’re the ones that suggested that I throw from the low slot and the high slot and ever since then I just took off.

CPB – You begin your pro career in Dunedin (in 2024). How did you find your first taste of pro ball went?

GR – I’ll say the first month was really good. I got settled in really quick. Then the next month I had a little rocky one. Then I just tweaked some things mechanically each week. It’s just a process and a grind. You have to go in not thinking it’s a job. It’s just a love for the game that you want to do and to keep playing. This season has been one of the funnest seasons I’ve ever had, honestly. It was a grind, I’ll tell you that. Dunedin was a grind. These bus rides in Vancouver are a grind but I enjoy my time with my teammates. I love every bit of the Blue Jays organization.

CPB – You get promoted to Vancouver. How did you find out about it? I know sometimes the coaches like to have a little fun before they tell you you got promoted. Anything like that for you?

GR – So, Nico Deschamps got promoted on Friday or Saturday, and he wasn’t going to leave until Monday. So, he came to the game on Sunday, and I think we lost that game. We all had a team meeting, and (Dunedin manager José Mayorga) talked to us about the season, about the game, and he was like, ‘Nico’s not the only one going to Vancouver. Rogers and Arias (Victor Arias) are going with him.’ And it was awesome, just the smiles on everyone’s face, how happy they were for me. And it was sad seeing or leaving all my friends and all the staff I got so close with, but everyone here made it so much more enjoyable. And the staff and team are here are great.

CPB – José Mayorga, who was a coach here a few years ago, what was that like playing under him? It seems like the players I’ve talked to, they really have a lot of respect for him.

GR – Yeah, Mayo’s one of my favorites ever. I can’t thank him enough. I mean, he wasn’t my pitching coach, but he was just always a good person to talk to, a real true leader and very competitive, and along with Cory (Dunedin pitching coach Cory Riordan). Cory helped me a lot. I mean, my velo’s been up trying out new stuff, and I can’t thank him enough either and the whole staff there.

CPB – Your pitch mix. What is it that you’re throwing right now?

GR – Four-seam, cutter, splitter, sinker, slider, changeup.

CPB – So you’ve got a lot in the repertoire. What would you say stands out? I guess everyone always considers the fastball their best pitch but what would you say is your second?

GR – I’d say my sinker is my first best and then I’ll go with the cutter.

CPB – Was there anyone who showed you a certain grip with your sinker or cutter?

GR – I kind of just played around with it. I tried different grips. If it didn’t work, I’d just try a new one but i think these two have worked for pretty well.

CPB – You mentioned the splitter. I don’t know if you ever had a chance to check in with Kevin Gausman because he’s known for the splitter.

GR – Yeah, Cory Riordan taught me the grip, and he told me it was Gausman’s grip. So I was like, ‘Alright, I’ll just try it.’ And it’s coming along. Just trying to kill some spin and need to stay on top of it but we’ll figure that out.

CPB – If you had to give a scouting report on yourself, how would you describe yourself?

GR – I’d say a lot of sinkers if you’re a righty, get ready for that. Lefties, you might see a front door sinker, back door sinker. I’ll mix in a four-seam at the top of the zone and then when the slider is good, it’s really good when it’s not it’s really short so you see that.

CPB – How do you kind of determine—as you mentioned you rattle off five or six different pitches—but what do you kind of decide to go with on a certain night. Is it just kind of how it feels in the bullpen or just kind of play it by ear?

GR – Yeah, I mean just look at people’s swings and how they take each pitch and their mannerisms after. It’s not just a guessing game. You just got to read the hitter.

CPB – I wanted to ask you about your very first start here in Vancouver and what a good one it was, eight shutout innings. What do you remember about that night getting to pitch here at Nat Bailey Stadium?

GR – I went from playing in Dunedin, getting maybe 300 fans to about 5,800 that Saturday night. And standing in front of the mound, looking into the stands, I don’t think I’ve ever had as much adrenaline ever in my life. I just wanted to put my team in the best opportunity to win. Every time I pitch, that’s what I want. I want to win. I mean, it’s hard to remember that night because it was so surreal coming from my first outing when, I mean, I didn’t have the best year in Low-A, but I think I’ve turned it around a little bit.

CPB – You won the Northwest League Pitcher of the Week award. How did you find out about it?

GR – I saw it on my phone and I thought that was really cool my first week here doing that and it just goes back to just wanting to win, that’s all I want to do.

CPB – What’s it been like for you pitching here in the Northwest League? Have you noticed it’s a big step up?

GR – I’d say the hitters definitely have a betterapproach each and every at-bat and each and every pitch. It’s really challenging and I’ll tell you what, I struggled more in Dunedin than I did here and I think it’s a big step up, but I think I was ready for it.

CPB – Final couple questions I want to ask, did you have a favorite major league team or player growing up?

GR – I was an Astros fan and a Mike Trout fan.

CPB – And the final question. The Canadians have five different uniforms—white, red, black, gray and blue. Do you have a favourite?

GR – Black. I’ve only worn black except for last week because it was too hot.

Grant Rogers File

Born – May 22, 2001 in Groves, Texas.
Height/Weight – 6-foot-7, 230 pounds.
Bats/Throws – Right/Right
Twitter – @Grant_Rogers10
Instagram – @grogers10
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 18 at Panola College in 2020 and 2021. Wore number 40 with McNeese State in 2022 and 2023. Wore number 40 with Dunedin in 2024.
Professional Debut – Dunedin Blue Jays at Tampa on April 11, 2024.
First Professional Strikeout – Enmanuel Tejada, Tampa Tarpons on April 11.
First Professional Victory – Dunedin Blue Jays at Fort Myers on May 9, 2024.
The More You Know – Baseball America says Rogers improved the velocity of his four-seam fastball, going from 89.4 to 91.7 miles per hour.
Fun Fact – Rogers is the fourth McNeese State Cowboy drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays and the second Cowboy to join the C’s since outfielder Andrew Guillotte in 2015.