'I felt like I was back to my old self'; Chase Shugart reflects on positive stint in Red Sox camp
WooSox right-hander Chase Shugart spent most of this spring in big league camp with the Red Sox after spending all of 2023 in Worcester.
He had a pretty solid showing as he threw 8.1 innings over 7 games and carried a 4.32 ERA in his first big league camp stint.
“There are a lot of positives I can take form the camp I had and I feel like I did pretty well,” Shugart told Beyond the Monster at WooSox Media Day on Wednesday. “There were a couple of outings where my command wasn’t there but that is all on me. Knowing that the controllable are something I can control but I need to build off the positives that I did. I threw strikes and I was good when I did that and got ahead in counts. I felt like I was back to my old stuff.”
A good spring can do wonders for a guy like Shugart, who admittedly didn’t have his best season in 2023. The 27-year-old hasn’t forgotten that and also is thankful the team didn’t give up on him even if they certainly could have.
“I am bringing with me the confidence into 2024 that the organization had in me especially after the season I had that they still wanted me there in big league camp,” Shugart said. “It gave me the confidence and made me want to work harder. I put myself in the best position I could to help the WooSox win or if I am called upon to help the Red Sox win. I feel like I have the ability to do that in whatever situation I am in and wherever I am pitching.”
Shugart was born in a small suburb outside of Houston called Bridge City, Texas. After attending high school there, he went on to pitch at the University of Texas where he found himself closing out games all three years he played there.
In a very feel-good moment in the Red Sox last spring training game in Texas, Shugart was called upon in the 9th inning to pick up a save back in his home state.
“It was an awesome feeling,” Shugart noted of pitching at Globe Life Park. “It is a one of a kind stadium and the nicest stadium I have ever played in. The whole family was there and some people in my family were there that haven’t gotten to see me pitch in forever since I have been in the northeast. It was a good reset going from Fort Myers to Texas and being able to be in my home state and getting to see my family before coming back north and getting ready to go for the season.”
One could categorize the Red Sox offseason as a bit hectic at times and a bit quiet at other times.
With a new man calling the shots and a new pitching structure set into place, Shugart noticed a change this spring than he has before in his six previous camps with the Red Sox.
“This spring was a lot different than last spring,” Shugart said. “The team events that took place like the closest to the pin challenge and the PFP challenges. It was good to build team chemistry and get the group of guys to click in that month and growing their relationships together. I was able to build a relationship with a ton of guys I had never really talked to before and it was awesome to be a part of it this spring.”
The WooSox open their season on the road against Lehigh Valley on Friday before returning back home to Worcester next week to open a homestand against Buffalo.
