Camp Notes: The Final Chapter

As camp winds down, tough choices are coming

I heard a pretty amazing story the other night. Those of you who like to keep a close eye on the transaction logs may have noticed an odd one last week: the Giants signed a right-handed pitcher named Dylan Hecht. Now, signing a new pitcher certainly isn’t odd, but Hecht’s story is unique and amazing. Tomorrow, he’ll turn 31, and, so far, his pitching resume since college includes just 14 innings of Indy Ball — the last of which came in 2021. So, what has a 30-year-old pitcher with no affiliated experience and virtually no professional experience of any kind been doing to catch the eye of an MLB team? Well, he’s been throwing in men’s rec leagues in the Phoenix area, naturally.

It seems that Hecht battled serious injuries while in college (where he spent five years between UC Santa Barbara and Sonoma State). He had thoracic outlet surgery and just never felt right again. But somehow, years later, he’s regained his health and started throwing harder and better than ever. You may have heard of a club called the Asian Breeze, an independent showcase travel club that plays games against basically anyone they can find to play each winter for a few months in Arizona. It’s a chance for guys who have fallen by the wayside to get a look in front of scouts, and hopefully get a last chance. Recently, the Breeze picked up a game against one of the WBC national qualifying clubs that was practicing in Arizona, and they needed more arms for coverage, so they let Hecht, who had reached out to them for an opportunity, pitch a couple of innings. He threw 96-97 mph and threw strikes. A Giants’ scout in attendance was impressed, and asked if he was interested in a minor league contract. He was! I’m told that in his very first bullpen session as a pro, he hit 99.3 on the gun with his fastball. As Kyle Haines said, if this guy makes it, Disney is going to make a movie about him. Move over Spencer Bivens, we’ve got a whole new Long Shot in the org now! Go get ‘em, Dylan. Make the incredible happen.

For those of you sending in mailbag questions asking about whether some pitcher or another “still has a chance,” the answer is always the same: with pitchers, it’s never too late.

And with that, let’s get to the action from last night. Perhaps a ringing triple from James Tibbs III is a nice way to start.