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UConn’s Jimmy Wang Carries Banner For Chinese Ballplayers (D1Baseball)
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Highlights:
>>Wang, an avid weight-lifter who is sculpted at 6-3 and 210 pounds, began playing baseball in the third grade. Hitting wasn’t really an option, he said, because of his “terrible eyesight”.
Pitching, though, could be the ticket that takes him to almost unimaginable heights.
Josh MacDonald, who has tutored six All-Americans since becoming UConn’s pitching coach in 2012, puts Wang in an elite class, and that’s saying something.
Just last year, former UConn pitcher Anthony Kay made his major league debut for the Blue Jays, ex-Huskies star Jacob Wallace was drafted in the third round by the Rockies, making him the highest selection ever for a Connecticut reliever; and Mason Feole set the school record for career strikeouts.
Yet, here’s what MacDonald told D1Baseball when asked about Wang:
“I don’t think we’ve ever had anybody with his ‘wow factor’. He has zero body fat and incredible balance in his windup. He hits 95 (mph), and, as he continues to grow, he could be 97, 98, 100.
“Jimmy is like a piece of clay. When he gets to the pros, and he is able to train 10 months of the year without worrying about school, I would not be shocked if he makes the majors.”
If so, Wang would be the first pitcher born in mainland China to make the big leagues. The only hitter born in mainland China to make it to the majors was Harry Kingman, who played four games for the Yankees in 1914. Outfielder Austin Brice, who was born in Hong Kong, made his major league debut in 2016.<<
>>Wang, an avid weight-lifter who is sculpted at 6-3 and 210 pounds, began playing baseball in the third grade. Hitting wasn’t really an option, he said, because of his “terrible eyesight”.
Pitching, though, could be the ticket that takes him to almost unimaginable heights.
Josh MacDonald, who has tutored six All-Americans since becoming UConn’s pitching coach in 2012, puts Wang in an elite class, and that’s saying something.
Just last year, former UConn pitcher Anthony Kay made his major league debut for the Blue Jays, ex-Huskies star Jacob Wallace was drafted in the third round by the Rockies, making him the highest selection ever for a Connecticut reliever; and Mason Feole set the school record for career strikeouts.
Yet, here’s what MacDonald told D1Baseball when asked about Wang:
“I don’t think we’ve ever had anybody with his ‘wow factor’. He has zero body fat and incredible balance in his windup. He hits 95 (mph), and, as he continues to grow, he could be 97, 98, 100.
“Jimmy is like a piece of clay. When he gets to the pros, and he is able to train 10 months of the year without worrying about school, I would not be shocked if he makes the majors.”
If so, Wang would be the first pitcher born in mainland China to make the big leagues. The only hitter born in mainland China to make it to the majors was Harry Kingman, who played four games for the Yankees in 1914. Outfielder Austin Brice, who was born in Hong Kong, made his major league debut in 2016.<<
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>>Wang wasn’t nearly as stellar this year, going 0-0, 7.70 in three appearances, all in relief. In just 4.2 innings, he struck out six but allowed five hits, four walks, three hit-by-pitches and one homer.
However, there were extenuating circumstances. Wang injured his back while lifting weights, and that led to some arm issues while he overcompensated to make his delivery work.
MacDonald, a former Huskies pitcher (10-8, 4.85) who earned the first win in the Penders UConn era on March 3, 2004 and became Penders’ pitching coach eight years later, said Wang had just gotten back to normal when college baseball shut down due to the pandemic.
In his last appearance, Wang allowed one run in two innings. He gave up a homer to the first batter he faced but then struck out five in UConn’s 20-1 win over Presbyterian on March 7.
“It’s really hard for hitters to time Jimmy,” MacDonald said. “His leg comes up, and it stops and slowly comes down. He has a backspin fastball that gets on you. Facing Jimmy is like going against a submarine guy. You’re not seeing that look very often.”
UConn went 8-5 this season against a brutal schedule and finished its year on a five-game winning streak. The Huskies also went 3-2 against 2019 national champion Vanderbilt and 2019 national runner-up Michigan. Both Vanderbilt and Michigan were No. 1 in the nation in one major poll when they faced the Huskies.
Wang plans to return to the Huskies in 2021. He is also on track to earn his bachelor’s degree next year, and MacDonald believes Wang could be selected in the top 20 rounds of the 2021 MLB Draft.
“I haven’t had a guy who looks like one of those SEC (pitchers). But Jimmy looks like that,” MacDonald said. “He has a lot of work to do, especially on his secondary pitches (slider, splitter, changeup). But I think there’s a big future for him.”<<
However, there were extenuating circumstances. Wang injured his back while lifting weights, and that led to some arm issues while he overcompensated to make his delivery work.
MacDonald, a former Huskies pitcher (10-8, 4.85) who earned the first win in the Penders UConn era on March 3, 2004 and became Penders’ pitching coach eight years later, said Wang had just gotten back to normal when college baseball shut down due to the pandemic.
In his last appearance, Wang allowed one run in two innings. He gave up a homer to the first batter he faced but then struck out five in UConn’s 20-1 win over Presbyterian on March 7.
“It’s really hard for hitters to time Jimmy,” MacDonald said. “His leg comes up, and it stops and slowly comes down. He has a backspin fastball that gets on you. Facing Jimmy is like going against a submarine guy. You’re not seeing that look very often.”
UConn went 8-5 this season against a brutal schedule and finished its year on a five-game winning streak. The Huskies also went 3-2 against 2019 national champion Vanderbilt and 2019 national runner-up Michigan. Both Vanderbilt and Michigan were No. 1 in the nation in one major poll when they faced the Huskies.
Wang plans to return to the Huskies in 2021. He is also on track to earn his bachelor’s degree next year, and MacDonald believes Wang could be selected in the top 20 rounds of the 2021 MLB Draft.
“I haven’t had a guy who looks like one of those SEC (pitchers). But Jimmy looks like that,” MacDonald said. “He has a lot of work to do, especially on his secondary pitches (slider, splitter, changeup). But I think there’s a big future for him.”<<
Very good article, has a little info on Wang that I had not seen before. I did not know he was eligible to play only one baseball season in high school
Fall ball reports from the coaching staff on Jimmy Wang were very good from what I recall. The flu and bad back were setbacks at the beginning of the season. From what Coach Mac says, sounds like Jimmy Wang is going to have a big role on the pitching staff next season.
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In a perfect world, imagine Kurth, Wang and Casparius as our weekend starters next year, with Simeone and Dunlop pitching on weekdays.
One of these pitchers could also end up in the back of the bullpen. For instance, Joe Simeone may struggle with control, but he also has big strikeout totals from this shortened season and from the 2019 summer ball season that could make a back of the bullpen role a thought to consider.