Marcus Stroman’s first love is basketball. It’s one reason he chose to attend Duke.
Stroman played three sports in high school, but his 5’9” frame hampered his hoop dreams so he chose to pursue baseball. It’s taken him to a spot on the USA National Collegiate Team.
Other WRAL Top Stories
But don’t tell Stroman he is too short to pitch.
“Yeah, I hear it all the time—daily,” said Stroman. “Scouts and teams always look for that big guy, but you just have to go out there and prove them wrong and show you can do exactly what the big guys can do. I kind of like it, to be honest.”
This week, Stroman recorded saves in two games against Japan at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
What Stroman lacks in stature, he makes up for in speed. His fastball has been clocked as high as 98 miles per hour.
“It’s kind of weird because my velocity, ever since my junior year in high school, has continued to increase,” Stroman said. “People ask me, ‘Where does it come from?’ and I don’t have an answer. To be honest, I think it’s the workouts I’ve been doing at Duke.”
In his first two seasons at Duke, Stroman has shown he can do it all: hitting, playing second base, starting pitching and closing. That versatility helped Stroman win the ACC Freshman of the Year award in 2010.
But it’s his skills as a closer that landed him on Team USA. “I was dying to be on the team,” he said. “I like closing because your adrenaline is definitely going a lot faster. Your heart is beating faster.”
Stroman has shown a knack for punching those pressure strikeouts for Team USA. In six appearances, he has four saves and 16 strikeouts in only 6 2/3 innings pitched. “I’ve been in pressure situations my whole life, and I can honestly say I enjoy that more than anything,” he said.
As a pro prospect, opinions are mixed on Stroman because of his height. “Unfortunately, clubs are always looking for that ‘projectability,’” he said. “They always look for those 6’4”, 6’3” or 6’2” pitchers.”
Stroman isn’t that tall, but his poise and talent are enormous.