The Louisville Bats have had a lot of turnover in personnel this season, and sometimes that turnover calls for some unlikely faces to join midseason from unusual places. For Cam Cotter, Kent Emanuel, and Ben Wereski, that was their reality. The three new arms for the Bats were all a part of the High Point Rockers, an independent Atlantic League team out of North Carolina. None of their stories are the same, and yet their journeys through baseball brought them to the same ballclub within a month of each other.
Starting with Cotter, he had seen a lot of baseball in a ton of different places before ending up in Derby City. After going undrafted due to battling some injuries in college, he signed with the Rockers in 2022 before signing with the Giants organization in 2023. He played there until 2025 when he was released. From there, he took his talents internationally, signing with Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican League ahead of the 2026 season.
“Most of that league is at a pretty significant altitude above sea level,” Cotter said. “From a pitching standpoint, your pitches don’t move as much and the ball flies farther, which really puts you at a disadvantage.”
Cotter never wavered, though, with his mentality out of the bullpen remaining the same no matter how high or low on Earth he was.
“Just throw your best stuff, try to strike guys out, get in and get out clean is kind of the motto,” Cotter said.
That mentality has proven to be key for his success in his return to affiliated baseball, where he has been a focal point out of the Bats’ bullpen, posting 12 strikeouts and only four walks in 14.2 innings pitched.
When he returned to the United States, however, Cotter thought his professional baseball journey was over. Things quickly turned out differently for the right-hander, however.
“I was essentially retired,” Cotter chuckled. “I thought I was going to be done playing baseball every day, like pursuing professional baseball. I had taken a full-time job in medical device sales.”
For Cotter, this summer has been a whirlwind of homes, teams, and even jobs, but looking back on it has made things all the more special for him.
“Two months ago, I was handing out business cards,” Cotter laughed. “Now I’m signing autographs in Triple-A, so it’s been a really wild summer.”
Cotter was originally assigned by the Reds to Double-A Chattanooga, where he met a familiar face and former Rocker, Ben Wereski.
Compared to Wereski, who had spent the entire season in High Point, Cotter’s journey was a busy one. After starting in the Mexican League, Cotter pitched in both the Frontier League and Atlantic League before joining the Reds organization on July 7.
Wereski is the least experienced of the three Rockers signed this season, as he had never reached Triple-A until coming to Louisville. In his short stint with the Bats, he has shown flashes of brilliance, allowing three or fewer runs in six of his first seven Triple-A starts.
In his Triple-A debut on August 1, he pitched 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits, while he struck out five.
“That was really special,” Wereski reminisced. “My parents and my two younger brothers were able to come out and see me because I think my first outing here was at home, and it was on a Saturday. So, they just drove from Buffalo to come in and watch the game, and then they headed out the next day. My wife was here. It was a very special moment.”
Wereski began his career as an undrafted free agent in the Royals system from 2022-2024. From there, he was released after a labrum tear, which kept him sidelined until June 2025. When healthy, he signed with High Point, where he remained until the Reds acquired his contract on July 6. When looking back on his injury, Wereski thought about the road back and what pushed him to come back to professional baseball.
“It’s a long road,” Wereski said. “What made it a bit more difficult was piecing it all together on my own. Who was going to do the surgery, physical therapy, and even where was I going to train?”
The long road paid off, as Wereski has become a key starter in the Bats rotation throughout the second half. His mentality of taking things one step at a time with his injury recovery seems to have seeped into his pitching strategy as well.
“I know that if I'm executing where I want to execute and keeping my fastball on both sides of the plate, then I can pitch to almost anybody,” Wereski added. “Regardless of who's in the box or who I'm playing against, whatever it is, it's just like as long as I'm focusing on what I can do as the ball's leaving my hand. That's all I'm looking for.”
Emanuel, a fellow southpaw, is the only one out of the three Rockers signed this season to have been drafted, and he was a high pick, going in the third round of the 2013 draft to the Houston Astros. He is also the only one with Major League experience.
He made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Astros and later pitched 12 games for the 2024 Marlins before coming to the Reds earlier this season.
Emanuel was also plagued by injuries in his career, and although injuries have kept him away from the game at times, he kept coming back and returning to form. He returned to such great form that the Reds called him up on August 17 after just one start with the Bats.
“It’s really cool,” Emanuel said. “I think everyone’s goal is to play at the Major League level. It was something I am happy to have happen to me. Hopefully I get another opportunity sooner rather than later.”
Emanuel’s case is an interesting one, as he became the oldest Louisville player on the roster upon signing at 34 years old. Being in independent ball before signing with the Reds, there was a sense of hope not many at that age would have in returning to pro baseball.
“It might be harder for me to get out of there because I don't have the youth that some of these other prospects have,” Emanuel said. “But if I were to get out of there, I knew that I was probably on a faster track than the younger guys, just because it was likely a scenario where I'm being signed because a team feels like they may need someone up in the big leagues.”
His guess was spot on, as he went up and tossed 5.0 innings against St. Louis, allowing just two runs on five hits with four strikeouts in his first Major League start less than two weeks after joining the Reds system.
Before coming back to affiliated ball, he spent some time in Mexico like Cotter, only with a different team a year prior: Diablos Rojos del Mexico. In that time, he credited the altitude with helping him develop his cutter.
“Mexico City is probably the most hitter-friendly place I’ve ever played at,” Emanuel remarked. “It kind of put me in a position where I didn’t have a choice, and I had to throw that pitch, and it got me a lot more comfortable throwing it in games.”
When coming back to the United States and affiliated ball, things were a little challenging for a 34-year-old, so it was nice to see former Rockers in the clubhouse upon his arrival.
“Of all the things that have gone on in the past few months, that might have been the craziest thing,” Emanuel said. “It is certainly helpful, coming into the clubhouse and seeing familiar faces. You’re able to get comfortable a lot faster.”
He has gotten comfortable in his new home, going 2-1 with a 4.23 ERA in five games for the Bats, holding opponents to a .219 average and striking out 27 in 27.2 innings.
All three of the newest arms in the Bats pitching staff have gone through different trials and tribulations. From career-altering injuries to long stints in the minors, one thing they all have in common is the two places they ended up: High Point and Louisville.
“To not only be playing baseball again, but then to do it with guys that came out of the Atlantic League is just such a special opportunity,” Cotter said. “I'm so grateful to the Reds for giving all of us this opportunity to get back into affiliated baseball and see if we can make it to the big leagues.”
“It’s the journey that brings me fulfillment,” Wereski said. “Having that support around me like my wife, family, and teammates is really special.”
“It’s pretty wild,” Emanuel said. “I’m certainly thankful that it played out this way.”
Former Rocker Brandon Leibrandt recalls his time in High Point from 2023-24 and sees how the process has not changed since he left to come to the Bats.
“Frank Viola is the pitching coach, and Jamie Keefe is the manager. Those guys do it right,” Leibrandt said. “They do their best to make it seem as close to being back in affiliated ball as possible, and they are doing everything you can ask for.”
The route from High Point to Louisville has become a productive one. Cotter and Wereski are trying to reach the Major Leagues for the first time, while Emanuel is working toward another opportunity.
For all three, High Point provided a place to keep pitching, and Louisville provided another chance in affiliated baseball.