Meet the HRDX pitchers

When baseballs start soaring over Crystal Palace Park on July 9 for FTX MLB Home Run Derby X, you may recognize the MLB Legends, women's baseball and softball stars, and the Rookies -- UK's developmental stars who have all played for the Great Britain National Team -- who are all swinging for the fences. You may have also been following the Wild Cards on their training journey as they prepared for the event.

But just who will be pitching to these home run-smashing hitters? Well, that's a good question.

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Led by head coach Mike Griffin of PRO5 baseball, each of the four clubs will have its own pitcher with gobs of baseball experience. Unlike in a traditional baseball game, these pitchers will be throwing to their own team, hoping to groove as many crushable balls over the heart of the plate.

So, before they loosen up those arms and get on the platform, let's get to know them a little better.

Michael Griffin - Head Coach

Griffin, originally from Nanaimo, Canada, is the director of baseball development for the PRO5 Baseball Academy and the former MLB Development Center head coach.

At HRDX, he's also responsible for helping train the Wild Cards and get the entire coaching staff ready for this worldwide tour of crushed baseballs. It's something he has plenty of practice in, as he was also the former Czech National Team Manager. That's where his greatest baseball accomplishment took place as he led the club to 3rd Place in the Olympic Qualifier, as well as reaching the WBC Qualifier.

"The HRDX is non-stop action," Griffin said when asked why he was excited to take part in the tournament. "It takes some of the best components of the game and packs it into one format."

Griffin also knows just how hard it is to successfully hit a baseball (hey, former Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams did, too). "The Wild Cards have improved tremendously," Griffin said. "[Hitting a home run] is one of the most difficult actions in sports to learn."

Mack Jenkins - Red Sox

If anyone knows about pitching, it's Jenkins. He was the Reds' pitching coach from 2016-18, helping oversee the development of future stars like starter Luis Castillo and closer Raisel Iglesias.

He has a pretty unique career highlight, too: He broke up the longest winning streak in American professional baseball history when he snapped the Salt Lake Trappers' 29-game winning streak while in the Minor Leagues in 1987. Primarily relying on changeups and breaking balls, Jenkins stymied a powerful offense that entered the game hitting .347 as a team.

"I threw it good, even in the first inning [when I allowed two runs]," Jenkins said after the game. "I faced seven guys in the first and I knew I could beat them by the way they were swinging the bats. Even though they have about six guys batting over .400, I wasn't intimidated by them after the first."

While he was looking to keep the ball in the park that day, he'll be hoping to serve his Red Sox teammates plenty of fat pitches. He's already incredibly impressed by Liv Cooke and the rest of the Wild Cards' work at the dish.

"I have followed their practice on Instagram. They are focused on hitting, which is so new to them," Jenkins said. "All are amazing competitors and I know they can conquer this skill of hitting a round ball with a round bat. [It's] _hard._"

Dave Jauss - Cubs

Though this Cubs team will be playing all over the globe and not at Wrigley, it's still a homecoming of sorts for Jauss, who originally hails from Chicago, Ill. While Jauss has held a number of job titles in his 40-plus year career in pro baseball, there's one accomplishment that stands above the rest and you can find it on his third finger: Jauss was an advance scout for the 2004 Red Sox, who broke an 86-year championship drought. Of course, a close second is that three of his sons also work in baseball these days, making it a true family affair.

Excited that HRDX will help promote the game internationally, Jauss just may be the secret weapon on the Cubs' roster: He was the pitcher for Pete Alonso when the Mets slugger won his second HR Derby title in 2021.

As for the Wild Cards? "They are enjoying the thrill of both competition and a chance to learn," Jauss said. "Now [it's time] to show what they have learned in front of the public."

Jay Stott - Dodgers

If you want someone who can help international players reach their potential, Stott is your guy. The former UNC Wilmington college player -- he's originally from nearby Wake Forest, N.C. -- Stott has held clinics in Germany, Hungary, Spain, Austria, Slovakia among others and helped coach the Czech National Team at the 2019 European Championships.

"I love sharing my love for baseball internationally," Stott said. "HRDX is a creative way to introduce the game to groups of people who will hopefully become baseball fans."

He lists being a coach as one of his most notable achievements, pointing out how rewarding it's been to have an "opportunity to impact young men in baseball communities locally and around the world and to see former players make it all the way to the big leagues." That includes his own family, as his two sons went on to become a college coach and a professional scout, respectively.

As for the Wild Cards, Stott has been impressed by the work ethic they've displayed in training.

"It has been great seeing our Wild Cards dive in and work really hard to be prepared for the HRDX competition," Stott said. "They are improving every day and their grit and determination will help them prepare for a great experience."

Justin Kunz - Yankees

The youngest member of the coaching staff, Kunz has a trophy case to envy. A former All-American, two-time First-Team All Conference player and two-time Buster Posey finalist as a catcher at Gardner-Webb University, Kunz was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2019 Draft.

"Getting drafted is definitely the proudest moment for me in baseball. While it was just the start to my professional journey, there were years of hard work and dreams that came to fruition in one moment and it was an incredible feeling and moment I will never forget," Kunz said.

While he was a catcher in college and the Minor Leagues, Kunz will be responsible for the other half of the battery at HRDX. He's got plenty of confidence in himself -- and the Wild Cards who will be trying to knock out some dingers.

"I think what the Wild Cards are doing is incredible and no small feat. Training to do one of the hardest things in sports -- in front of thousands of people -- is tremendous and they are putting in lots of hard work. I'm excited to see it pay off!"