Astros’ Brady Rodgers staged for debut with help from Program 15

Astros’ prospect Brady Rodgers got a little help this offseason from Program 15. Now with some hard work, he is on the cusp of making his big league debut.

There is that moment that you realize that you have reached your dream after working for most of your life to get there. Some of us are still reaching for those dreams. While I enjoy teaching, I would love to be a full-time sports reporter or radio personality someday. We all reach for that someday, which has arrived for Houston Astros prospect, Brady Rodgers.

Rodgers, coming off his PCL Pitcher of the Year season, was recalled by the Houston Astros to join the team in Arlington. I was listening to a local talk show host on the way home, and he said that Rodgers was just an extra arm for September callups. He said that if Rodgers pitched in a game this weekend, it would mean the Astros are losing or something terrible happened to one of the starters.

Rodgers was a third-round pick by the Astros in the 2012 MLB Draft. But he didn’t really demonstrate the success expected from an early pick. After a promising professional debut with Tri-City in 2012 (7-2, 2.89 ERA), he struggled to maintain an ERA less than 4.51 until this season. I see where the lack of respect towards Rodgers comes from. However, no matter what his ERA was, he was a winning pitcher in the minors.

Give the Astros credit. They did not panic with his stats, but instead they looked at how he was pitching. They continued to move him up through the farm system at a steady pace. He reached Triple-A to start the 2015 season, where he has stayed up until this point. Rodgers is not an overpowering guy on the mound, but he knows how to pitch.

Here was the interview with Rodgers from this past offseason.

Offseason, what offseason?

I interviewed Rodgers this past offseason on Talking Stros. Rodgers said that he felt that he was missing something that made him successful. He mentioned that he reached out to a former scout that scouted him for the Brewers, who drafted him in 2009. His name was Jeremy Booth. Of course, Rodgers did not sign after the Brewers drafted him in the 39th round of the 2009 draft.

Booth, who worked the Texas area in 2009, made an impression on Rodgers. When Rodgers sought him out for advice after the 2015 season, Booth said that he had created a new training program called Program 15. Booth invited Rodgers to check out the program and see if he would be interested in joining. Of course, Rodgers said yes, which began his quest to get better for the 2016 season.

Rather than working out this offseason with family and friends, Rodgers was working with former major league players with Program 15. Booth did a scouting report for Rodgers and created an individual plan for him to make him become a major league swingman. This is what Booth saw with Rodgers potential. He could be a player similar to what Chris Devenski offers, a long reliever who could get spot starts.

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Hard work pays off.

Rodgers was able to use what he learned with Program 15 to have a breakout season with the Fresno Grizzlies with a 12-4 record with a 2.86 ERA. In addition, he increased his strikeouts to a career high of 116 in 132 innings. While Rodgers may be a September call-up this year, he could be fighting for a rotation spot with Doug Fister projected to leave in the offseason.

Whether it was Rodgers’ work with Program 15, Luke Gregerson teaching him a slider, or just a result of his hard work, he can now call himself a major leaguer now. I asked him how excited he was with the promotion. You can read what he said below.

“Extremely excited!! The feeling I got when I was able to tell my dad, mom, wife, and sisters, that I was going to the big leagues that’ll be one of the greatest moments of my life that I’ll never forget!”

Next: Astros Minors: Fresno Player Spotlight- Brady Rodgers

Thanks Rodgers for taking the time this offseason to not only come on Talking Stros but also for coming out to join us at Two-A-Days restaurant for the broadcast. I wish I could go up to Arlington to watch him pitch in person. Instead, I will be cheering from the front row of my living room. Good luck to Rodgers and his family as he reaches his dream of playing for his hometown team.

***Stats from Baseball-Reference***