Photo Submitted by Georgia State Athletics
The six-foot-seven right handed pitcher was a two-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week in 2015 during his junior and final season with Georgia State. Bates was selected in the 15th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Anaheim Angels and has spent the past year pitching for the team’s rookie league affiliate Orem Owlz, where in 14 appearances he had a 1-3 record and a 5.40 ERA.
In April, Bates discussed the ups and downs of being a professional athlete and also how he has matured since making the decision to leave the Panthers last summer.
The Signal: How has your first year playing under a professional organization?
Bates: My first year in the pros was amazing it was so much fun. Just thinking about playing a game for a living makes it hard to complain about it.
The Signal: What’s been the best part of being in the minors?
Bates: the best part of being in the minors is just being in the clubhouse and hanging out with your friends and just the camaraderie.
The Signal: What’s the worst part?
Bates: The worst part is that sometimes the days start to run together because we do the same thing basically every day. So it’s a challenge keeping yourself engaged all day every day.
The Signal: What is one specific thing you have learned in the past year, post-college? It could be baseball or life related.
Bates: One thing that I have learned in the past year is that you get out of it what you put in. It applies to a lot of things but the little things are important and if you don’t take them seriously it can be a huge problem for you in the future.
For more information about how Bates and other Panther professionals from 2015 are doing, read The Signal’s “One year later” update.
