Blake Treinen is a World Series champion and an MLB All Star, but his road to the show was quite improbable. The 6’5 flamethrower grew up in a very small town in Kansas, his high school with a graduating class of 48 students. In a place as small as Osage City, it was hard for the hard throwing righty to catch the attention of college and pro scouts. Treinen quit the sport in his sophomore season after developing prediabetes, setting himself up for an improbable path to baseball stardom.

Who is Blake Treinen

Treinen did not spend his free time playing much baseball, instead, watching TV while drinking Dr. Pepper. Treinen’s battle with diabetes motivated him to get back in shape and be ready for his junior season. His efforts to get in shape were successful, as Treinen lost around 40 pounds that summer. Aiding his development was a growth spurt that saw him grow from 5’7 to 5’11. Treinen returned to the team with a fastball topping out at 79 mph .

Following the conclusion of his high school career, Treinen enrolled at Baker University, a small NAIA school. The righty had no offers, so the small scholarship from Baker University was the only option. Treinen did not mesh well with the school’s pitching coach, and it resulted in him getting sent down to their JV squad. He  was at a crossroads, no school willing to take a chance on him, but he still had the desire to fight to pursue his dream.

Treinen decided on his next path: Transferring to the University of Arkansas to attempt a walk-on tryout. Upon his transfer, he attempted to speak with the head coach, where he was essentially laughed at and told 

“If we let you try out, we’d have to let the whole state of Arkansas try out.”

 The moment crushed Treinen, but he refused to quit.

The Tryout That Changed Everything

Treinen’s next break was a clinic held by former minor league pitcher, Don Czyz. The clinic was an event attended by primarily middle and high school students, instantly making Treinen stand out. Treinen impressed, and Czyz told him he would reach out to his friend, the head coach of South Dakota State. He decided he would not leave Arkansas unless it was for a Division 1 school, with a landscape architecture program. Luckily, South Dakota State met the criteria, recently moving to Division 1 and adding the program.

When Treinen arrived in South Dakota, he was topping out around  86 mph . Believing that wasn’t good enough to make the team, he set out to slowly raise his velocity. A key in reaching this goal was yet another small growth spurt. He picked up an inch and added 24 more pounds, both contributing to a noticeable velocity increase. Treinen had now reached 93 miles per hour, earned a spot in the team’s starting rotation, and was selected in the 23rd round of the MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. 

The Big Leagues

As Treinen finally felt his hard work come to fruition, the Marlins dealt him yet another blow to his dream. They ran him through a tedious physical exam, and an MRI revealed he had shoulder inflammation, and they pulled his contract offer. Treinen, determined to get back on track, returned for his senior season, where he fanned 84 batters in 84 innings with a 3.00 ERA. With such a productive season, his draft stock climbed and provoked the Oakland Athletics to pick him in the 7th round of the 2011 MLB draft. 

The Athletics would later trade Treinen to the Washington Nationals, where he finally found proper development. The Nationals called him up for his big league debut the following season. Treinen had focused on his velocity, and ended up reaching the upper 90s, even touching 101 miles per hour.

However, Treinen’s battles were far from over. After missing most of 2022, and all of 2023 with injuries, the then 34 year old was not ready to call it quits. Treinen recovered and made it all the way back from what looked to be career-ending, and at age 36, had a lockdown season as a high leverage arm for the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a 1.93 ERA. He parlayed that success with a great postseason, helping the Dodgers capture the World Series, posting a 2.19 ERA and picking up a couple saves along the way.

Treinen has established himself as one of the best relievers in the game throughout his career, winning two World Series titles and boasting an elite 2.90 career ERA. Blake Treinen’s story is a great example of how hard work and dedication can pay off. With several moments that could have ended his illustrious career before it started, Treinen continued to be relentless. From overlooked to unshakable, Treinen’s career proves resilience isn’t just part of the game—it’s why he’s still playing.

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