The praise from Program 15 and New Balance Future Stars Series VP of Scouting Butch Baccala was both frequent and impressive.  But the gist of it was this: Travis McDougall is everything you’re looking for in a potential future starting pitcher.
The Abbotsford Cardinals pitcher has built an impressive resume as he prepares to potentially be selected in the 2018 MLB Draft. Â He pitched the semi-final game of the Blue Jays Baseball Academy Tournament (a.ka. T12) and pitched a complete game in the Canada Cup to guarantee his squad a spot in the semis.
As his velocity continues to rise, so does his stock. Â Sandlot Baseball BC’s Corey Eckstein is plenty familiar with McDougall, as the two have been working together for years now.
“We’ve worked together since I was very young, seven or eight years old,” McDougall said. Â “Corey’s been my go-to pitching coach and hitting coach at the time when I did hit. Â We would have private lessons twice a week — Tuesday and Thursday — for an hour. I would pitch for a half hour and hit for a half hour, but now I’m a pitcher, and Corey and I are just focusing on pitching. Â He’s made me who I am today.”
McDougall describes himself as very fluent and calm on the mound, important traits for a pitcher his size — he’s six foot, six inches tall — given the struggles that bigger pitchers can have with maintaining their mechanics.
“If someone scores a run on me or gets a hit, I don’t show any emotion,” he said. Â “I don’t want to give the batter any confidence.”
THE SKINNY ON TRAVIS MCDOUGALL
Height 6-6. Weight 200 lbs. Born March 7, 2000. Plays in the Premier Baseball League (PBL) in BC, Canada. In 37.1 innings he has 4W (T3rd) & 2L / 42k’s (T5th) / ERA 0.94 (2nd). Fastball/Changeup/Curveball.
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 12 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,200 games covered in his career.
An avid card collector and sim racer, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son William, and their beloved dog, Bailey, and cat, Smokey.
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