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Pitcher Justin Garza was thinking about quitting the game he loved during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as he struggled in the minor leagues.
However, as Garza is joining the New York Mets now after a deal with the San Francisco Giants, he credits one thing to saving his career.
A video game.
“MLB The Show actually was a big part about me learning how to pitch and figuring out how to pitch,” Garza told The New York Post. “It’s so realistic at times, just playing that video game.”
Garza is not the only player in professional sports to use video games to prepare for games or rework their mechanics.
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Garza specifically uses the game mode Diamond Dynasty, where he said the different camera angles helped him experience how to use his pitches. Using a catcher’s view to pitch, he started reworking his arsenal.
Though it was not intentional, he was happy something clicked by playing the game.
“Once I started to play more and more, it was like, ‘OK, well, I actually have a cutter, I have this four-seam, I have this changeup, and maybe my stuff can play like this,” Garza told The Post.
Garza was an eighth-round draft pick by the Cleveland Guardians in 2015, but he struggled in his first taste of professional ball. He was only able to post one season with an ERA under five, owning a 3.36 ERA in 2018.
However, the pandemic break saw Garza as a rejuvenated hurler on the mound.
Garza posted a 1.59 ERA with 31 strikeouts over 14 games in Triple-A Columbus before being called up for the first time in his career. He had 21 appearances in 2021 in the big leagues.
He did not make it back to the big leagues until 2023, this time with the Boston Red Sox, but it did not go according to plan. Garza had an 8.35 ERA in 17 appearances (one start) before being moved to the Giants.
Garza was in Triple-A Sacramento this year before moving to the Mets.
Garza has played one game with the Mets, tossing two-thirds of an inning with two strikeouts in his first appearance.
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