Prospect Hartlieb opening eyes during camp

TAMPA, Fla. -- Twice this spring, Geoff Hartlieb has trotted in from the visitors’ bullpen at Steinbrenner Field and scaled the mound in the middle of an absolute mess: Bases loaded, nobody out and an All-Star stepping up to the plate.

Hartlieb deftly defused the first jam on Feb. 28. Aaron Judge hit into a double play, then Hartlieb retired Giancarlo Stanton. He nearly pulled off another escape act in the fourth inning Sunday by immediately forcing Troy Tulowitzki to hit into a double play, but he gave up an RBI single to Clint Frazier before finishing the frame in the Pirates' 6-5 loss.

Those circumstances might seem intimidating, especially for a relief prospect who pitched in Double-A last season. Not for Hartlieb.

“That’s the kind of stuff you think about when you’re lying in bed at night,” Hartlieb said. “It’s why I do what I do. I love it.”

The funny thing is, Hartlieb didn’t always dream about working his way toward the Majors with a fastball that has clocked in at 100 mph. He thought he might wind up playing in the NBA.

Basketball was Hartlieb’s passion growing up. He was a shooting guard and still grins now as he says, “I liked to shoot the three.” He was a two-sport star at Highland (Ill.) High School. He went to Quincy University in Quincy, Ill., to play basketball and averaged 1.8 points per game during the 2012-13 season.

But Hartlieb found that he didn’t enjoy playing college basketball. The sport he loved quickly lost its luster. He decided to leave Quincy. He emailed college baseball coaches with information about himself and quickly heard back from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. He drove down to the school, threw a bullpen session and received a scholarship offer. He immediately signed.

Despite his time away from baseball, Hartlieb pitched well enough and showed enough potential to attract interest from professional scouts. The 6-foot-6 right-hander’s fastball could touch 94-95 mph even then, he said, but that velocity came and went.

“I didn’t know what I was doing,” Hartlieb said, smiling. “I was just getting up there and hucking it.”

The Mets picked Hartlieb in the 37th round of the 2015 Draft, but he didn’t sign. He wanted to graduate and earn his degree, which he ultimately did. He wanted to stay close to his family after his mother, Wendy, passed away earlier in the year.

Hartlieb honors his mother every time he comes out of the bullpen. After throwing his warmup pitches, he steps off the mound, turns away from the plate, takes off his cap, raises it above his head and looks toward the sky.

“She’s with me,” Hartlieb said. “I want to take a moment to think about her before I go out and do it.”

Hartlieb returned to Lindenwood for another year, and the Pirates selected him in the 29th round of the 2016 Draft.

“It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, because I think I landed in a good spot with the Pirates,” he said. “I was more mature by the time I got drafted the second time, so it worked out well. But it was not something I ever thought was going to happen.”

Hartlieb’s fastball clocked in in the low 90s during his first professional season. He spent the following winter training with Brian DeLunas, who is now the Mariners’ director of pitching development, at Premier Pitching and Performance in St. Louis. With DeLunas’ help, Hartlieb learned how to use his legs in his delivery and saw his fastball velocity spike.

In 2017, Hartlieb posted a 2.12 ERA in 39 appearances. He recorded a 3.24 ERA in 47 outings last year for Double-A Altoona, which means he’s likely bound for Triple-A Indianapolis after his first Spring Training in big league camp.

“He’s aggressive,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “His mindset is down, sink [the fastball]. He’s got a little breaking ball to go with it, and he’s got a four-seamer that plays at the top of the zone with the big velocity. … He’s been an interesting guy to have.”

He’s not going to wind up in the NBA, after all, but an MLB future may not be far off.

“I think I’ve been lucky enough to be put in a couple situations where I could showcase what I can do. I think I can help this team in some ways, especially coming in and getting guys out,” Hartlieb said. “I’ve been able to show that, for the most part. It’s been fun. It’s been a great experience around these guys.”