Blue Jays prospect Matt Boyd pushes himself to the limit

Left-handed pitcher uses focus and preparation to advance his baseball career

Matt Boyd listened closely as his coach described skill-enhancing drills Monday at Toronto’s minor league spring training facility. Naté Maetzener/Toronto Observer

TAMPA, Fla – Matt Boyd knows how he will get to the major leagues.

Boyd, a left-handed pitching prospect for the Blue Jays explained his game plan on Monday at Toronto’s minor league spring training facility.

The 24 year old knows nothing comes easy and that focus, challenges, and work ethic will take him far in his professional baseball career.

“The goal is to bring that same focus and work ethic every single day,” said Boyd. “That is easy to say because you’re playing the sport you love, but it really takes a concerted effort to come out and be a professional about it to bring out that same level of focus and intensity every single day, that may be the toughest thing to do.”

Boyd has played 34 games in his last two seasons. He had a total of 31 starts with 170 strikeouts, 37 walks, a 3.09 earned-run averages, and a 1.087 walks/hits per innings pitched over the past two seasons in single-A and double-A ball.

These skills have taken Boyd far, but he thinks hard work and commitment will make his dreams a reality. He believes effort is needed for success and making the most of team support.

“My dad and my mom instilled in me the mentality to not compete against the person next to you, but compete against yourself,” said Boyd. “You can always push yourself and push your own limits that no one else is going to come close too.

“If I can push myself then I can keep doing the extra rep every day and push just a little but farther and nothing else should matter and if I can fine tune myself I’m going to make other people around me better and eventually be a team name that’s going to win a championship.”

Boyd’s understanding that preparation is crucial helps him value his skills and work harder. He believes that working with his teammates and supporting each other every time they step on the field enhances their chances at game success.

“Preparation is a concerted effort every single day. I had a workout group with a few guys and we just pushed each other in the gym all the way from October to February,” said Boyd. “We fed off each other and made each other better, we had to push each others limits.”

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About this article

By: Naté Maetzener
Posted: Mar 9 2015 8:32 pm
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Filed under: Baseball Sports
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1 Comment on "Blue Jays prospect Matt Boyd pushes himself to the limit"

  1. Ron McNaughton | March 10, 2015 at 7:38 pm |

    It was a well written article. Will be interesting to follow his future with the Blue Jays

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