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Trenton Wallace Transitioning Well to Pro Ball

Trenton Wallace Transitioning Well to Pro Ball

November 8, 2021

Trenton Wallace
Photo credit: Iowa Baseball

Left-handed pitcher Trenton Wallace has found the transition from college baseball to pro ball a smooth one so far. Wallace, who joined the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization this past summer as the teams 11th round pick out of Iowa feels his quick adjustment to pro ball is due to similar schedules between the two levels of play.

“I found the transition to be really smooth,” explained Wallace. “It was a very similar schedule to our Iowa schedule which really prepared me for the workload that you have each week.”

Getting a brief taste of professional pitching in 2021, Wallace logged 8 1/3 innings pitched for the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays. In that time, the lefty racked up 11 K’s, and held opposing hitters to just a .148 average against him in his five relief appearances.

While, Wallace posted good numbers out of the bullpen, it’s a new role for him as he was a starter for the Hawkeyes.

“Working out of the bullpen was a good experience,” said Wallace. “I definitely like the starting role better, but it’s always good to be able to do both.”

Currently using a four-pitch mix of a 2-seam fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball; Wallace tries to get ahead of counts early with his fastball, so he can mix in his off-speed pitches to keep the hitters guessing.

“I like to establish the fastball early in the outing,” stated Wallace. “From there I use my slider and changeup as put away pitches, and my curveball as a strike stealer.”

Another way Wallace keeps hitters off-balance is by thinking like a hitter when he’s on the mound. As a former two-way player at Iowa, Wallace split time between the outfield and the mound; and that experience is helping him out immensely in pro ball.

“When I’m pitching I like to use my mind as if I was hitting and think about what pitch I would be looking for in each count,” explained Wallace. “This helps me keep the hitters off-balance.”

Be sure to follow Trenton Wallace’s progress in 2022, as he continues to keep hitters guessing with one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor league affiliates.