WooSox pitcher Chase Shugart closes the chapter on 2023, focused on 2024 and reflects on his time with Paul Abbott
WooSox pitcher Chase Shugart is focused on getting healthy and improving his strength and conditioning as he trains for the 2024 season.
Shugart dealt with nagging injuries last season, he spent time on the injured list dealing with oblique injury. He was shelved for a few weeks after struggling over the course of the month of May. His injury might have been a blessing in disguise for the Texas native, as it allowed him to slow down and focus on getting healthy.
As Shugart closes the book of his 2023 season, the 27-year-old will focus on getting his body in shape.
“My goal this year is more on the strength and conditioning side,” said Shugart on the To the Show We Go Podcast. “Like does that mean my arsenal is my arsenal like I can't change what I get to get into the weight room and maybe start throwing a mile or two harder like nothing crazy. So I was just my goal is to be in the best shape possible going into spring training and put myself in the best position to maintain what I do well, and not have any injury flare ups like I did this last year.”
When Shugart returns to the WooSox next season, he will be without his pitching coach Paul Abbott. The Red Sox decided to move on from the veteran coach at the conclusion of the season.
Shugart reflected on his time with Abbott and how he helped him during their time together in Worcester.
“Oh, it was very old school. And he was very opinionated, too,” Shugart said of his former pitching coach. “And like, I respect that I was somebody because like, take it easy, and tell you how it is no matter what, like you don't, he's not going to beat around the bush, he's not going to baby you through a process like hey, you're either gonna do it or you're not. This is how you can do it in the best way is how you do it in the worst way. Here's how you are when you're bad, here's how you are when you're good.”
Abbott spent 13 seasons in the Red Sox organization, serving as a pitching coach across all levels of the system.
“I'm gonna miss Paul, like he was extremely nice guy,” said Shugart. “I mean, even off the baseball field, he helped me through a lot this year, the balance the mentality side of it. But, you know, business is business, like I'm not gonna make those calls on who comes in and coaches who doesn't, but looking into going into ’24, just somebody that gets it, you know, somebody has been there done that, who has knowledge of the analytic side of it, but also has like a little old school savvy about it.”
With Craig Breslow leading the Red Sox baseball operations department, its unknown yet who the team will hire to become the major league and minor league pitching coach. No matter who the person the team elects to hire, Shugart has the kind of person in mind he would like to work alongside.
“I’ve grew up on old school baseball, and I've never been one for numbers or one for like, oh, how that pitch move,” added Shugart. “How's this working and where it's just more like, go out there throwing your best, but I would like to see somebody to bring in, I'm sure they're gonna bring in somebody that's well overqualified. And they're gonna have a knowledge of the analytic side and a knowledge of those skill sets. So I'm excited.”
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