Prior to his Tulsa Drillers debut on Saturday night in San Antonio, I had the chance to talk with starting pitcher Chad Bettis, who MLB.com recently ranked as the #4 prospect in the Colorado Rockies organization.
Selected by Colorado in the second round of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft (No. 76 overall), Bettis posted a 1.07 ERA in 67 innings across two levels that summer. At Modesto in 2011, he started 27 games and finished with a 3.34 ERA. More impressively, he allowed less than a hit per inning and struck out nearly 10 batters per nine innings.
Bettis was expected to make the jump to Tulsa for the 2012 season, but missed the entire 2012 campaign with a shoulder injury. Now back and healthy, Bettis talked to me about his injury and his hopes for 2013 and beyond.
Kevin Henry: So how does it feel to finally reach the Double-A level and Tulsa?
Chad Bettis: It's nice to be here finally. It looks like a great ballpark and it felt great to be out there and get on the field. Everything feels great right now so I'm ready for the season to start.
Henry: Can you talk about your shoulder injury last season and how frustrating that was for you?
Bettis: I've never experienced anything like that. The word "frustration" can't even describe it. I hope no one else ever has to go through anything like that.
Henry: Were there any positives you took away from your time being injured?
Bettis: I learned so much from being hurt. My outlook on the game really changed. I think my game will be more defined because I am looking at hitter's swings in batting practice and learning from them. How many pitchers actually watch batting practice to scout a hitter? I think you can learn a lot from a hitter’s swing by watching them in batting practice.
Henry: Will your injuries from last season change your approach heading into this season?
Bettis: No, I'm still who I am and who I've always been. I'm a guy who competes and attacks. I know this year I have to be smarter against better hitters, but I think I've learned a lot from last year. I’m going to keep pounding the bottom of the strike zone and trying to get ground balls.
Henry: Talk about your experience being in Colorado's camp this spring.
Bettis: It was a valuable experience. I could be myself and learn from people like Tulo (Troy Tulowitzki), who really became a mentor to me. He’s a great hitter and he understands what pitchers and hitters are looking for during an at-bat.
Henry: Career-wise, do you see yourself as a starter or reliever in the future?
Bettis: I would love to be a starter, but whatever gets me to the majors the fastest is great.
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