Sometimes, you can pick up a lot just from a social media handle.
Justyn Hart on Twitter? @JHart99BumpLyfe
This would be one of those times.
Every bit of six-foot-two and 230 pounds, Hart has had a presence with the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series in more ways than one, but mostly as a power arm with big upside on, you guessed it, the bump.
Now, the big Missouri commit gets a chance on the big stage, selected to pitch and also play some first base for the Orange Team at the upcoming Main Event, set for September 29-October 1.
An Illinois native, Hart was first seen at a Regional Combine in Chicago early in 2022, and quickly earned an invitation to first the Underclass Combine in Lake Charles and then the Underclass Elite in Frisco, putting on a show in both.
“My experience with the Future Stars Series has been amazing,” Hart said. “I have made long-lasting relationships with the players and the coaches throughout the events I’ve been to. I always look forward to coming back and playing at the future events I get invited to.”
Pitching for the Gold Team at Shelby Park, Hart was a bit tentative early in his outing, but received some words of wisdom from FSS president and CEO Jeremy Booth between innings that helped turn the tide in his favor. Between that and instruction from the development staff, he’s had plenty to focus on — on both sides of the ball — since his July appearance in Nashville.
“I have been working on my swing and toning my body more,” he said. “My swing is coming together more and I’m start to incorporate my legs a lot more. I’m still in the process of learning how to efficiently use my body to throw.”
LHP, Justyn Hart (@Jhart99Bumplyfe) 88-90 at the National Combine. @MizzouBaseball commit.@NB_Baseball @P15Sports #WeGotNow pic.twitter.com/tPuTC9uSyK
— New Balance 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 (@ftrstarsseries) July 4, 2023
Scheduled to pitch in relief in Sunday’s finale, Hart is looking forward to showing what he can do on the big stage.
“(I’m most excited about) being able to play in a major-league park,” he said. “It’s not everyday you can say you’ve played at Fenway Park…to say that you pitched on a major-league mound or got a hit on a major-league field.”
With a turnout of big-league scouts and execs expected to be even bigger than last year, the big southpaw is also anxious to show what he can do as one of the more intriguing arms in the upcoming 2024 Draft class.
“I look to show them what I can do on the mound,” he said. “My mechanics, me being able to control the counts I’m in and to attack the strike zone.”
