TEMPE, Ariz. -- As Angels shortstop Zach Neto dug into the box against Devyn Netz of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, he wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.
He had heard about how different the pitches move compared to baseball because of the underhand throwing motion in softball but had never seen it for himself until Friday. Neto only tracked the pitches from Netz but was especially impressed when she pulled the string on a dropball (or changeup) and then immediately went up and in with a rising fastball.
“That was definitely my first time,” Neto said. “I was trash talking my sister [Meghan] a bunch because she played softball. But standing in there, I see why it's difficult. But it was an awesome time.”
Netz, who pitches for the Carolina Blaze of the AUSL after starring at the University of Arizona, was joined by Utah Talons slugger Bri Ellis at Angels camp on Friday. The duo also visited the Dodgers on Thursday and the Cubs on Saturday and were excited to interact with Major Leaguers and show them what they can do.
Netz and Ellis were particularly excited to talk with Angels superstar Mike Trout and learn about his routine as an 11-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP. Netz grew up near Pasadena as a big Angels fan and said she even modeled her swing after Trout.
ATHLETES UNLIMITED SOFTBALL LEAGUE
“I got to do an interview with Mike Trout and I still have butterflies and goosebumps and everything like that,” Netz said. “It’s once in a lifetime, I’ll be telling my grandkids about that. With my hitting coach, I used to watch Mike Trout and break down his film. My swing is like his. His mechanics are something that I really resonate with. So just being able to tell him that today, it put a smile on his face. I walked away thinking that like, ‘Wow, that was really cool.’”
Ellis, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s AUSL Draft after an illustrious college career at Auburn and Arkansas, said her swing is more patterned after Yankees superstar Aaron Judge but was excited to meet Trout and hear more about how he prepares.
“Just talking through my swing with Trout was like the coolest thing ever,” Ellis said. “Hearing what he had to say about his mentality and how less is more. And he kind of took us through a day in the life on a game day.”
Trout also enjoyed the interactions and said he’ll always remember when current MLB Youth Softball Ambassador Jennie Finch struck out future Hall of Famer and former Angels teammate Albert Pujols on three pitches during the 2004 Pepsi All-Star Softball Game.
“I always go back to watching that video of Albert facing Jennie Finch,” Trout said. “It was pretty cool to meet them and get to know their story. It was really cool hearing that [Netz’s] mechanics were based on mine. She’s a professional.”
Neto said the way the ball comes out of the hand is the biggest difference and softball pitchers can also throw rising fastballs and move the ball in just about any direction.
“It was an unexpected release point,” Neto said. “Once I saw the first one, I thought I had it, until she threw me that changeup or slow pitch, whatever they call it. And then she came up and in and buzzed my tower a little bit. But yeah, that was nice.”
In softball, the pitches also come from a mound that is 43 feet from home plate instead of baseball’s 60 feet, six inches. It makes the reaction time much shorter for hitters, which increases the perceived velocity.
“I wanted to give them a different look but I think release point is the biggest difference for them,” Netz said. “I’ll have my brother [Cubs Minor League reliever Dawson Netz] catch and it’s so different seeing the release point of an overhand pitch versus an underhand. It takes a minute to get used to that. But if anything, they kind of jump up a little bit, but it's still gonna come at them the same speed.”
MLB has invested in the AUSL and the league has grown to six teams and 90 players with Ellis’ Talons taking home the inaugural title last year. Former Marlins general manager Kim Ng is the Commissioner for the burgeoning league, which begins play again in June.
“This is a way for us to expand our league and show that we are professional athletes,” Netz said. “We're the best of the best. We can show off our talents, but show that we might be a small pool, but we're up and coming.”