SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Rockies right-hander Victor Vodnik casually mentioned to special front-office assistant Vinny Castilla that his mother was born in Mexico City. It led to Vodnik being named to Team Mexico for the World Baseball Classic.
And it further led to Vodnik giving fans behind-the-scenes insight.
In two-plus seasons in Colorado, Vodnik has used his fastball, which is capable of reaching 100 mph+ velocities, to fashion dominant stretches. Last year, he revealed an inspiring story of how he benefited from the rough lessons learned by his father and grandfather, who worked as plumbers and eventually started their own plumbing business. So there is quite a bit to Vodnik on the mound, and an interesting story off of it.
Now, he is letting fans behind the scenes of the WBC.
Vodnik is using his Instagram account – @vodnik_11 – to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the event through photos, videos and Instagram Stories – vignettes that last for 24 hours.
“I’m excited for all that, to share the whole experience,” Vodnik said.
The social media approach is also helping a former collegiate pitcher who is trying to forge his path within the game through his multimedia talents. Ryan Hernandez (@ryguys_visuals), who played at California Baptist University and Gonzaga University, handles video, podcasting and social media duties for The Art of Pitching, a facility in Upland, Calif., that works to train and improve pitchers – both professionals and otherwise.
Call the WBC a career development project for both guys.
“I’m a very realistic individual – when you see some of the guys that walk through this clubhouse, I’m like, ‘There’s no chance I would be able to play,’” Hernandez said. “I first met Victor at The Art of Pitching, and he saw what I had done. We had talks, and he said, ‘Would you be interested in coming out for Spring Training and possibly the WBC?’
“I was like, ‘Dude, heck yeah.’”
The earliest Vodnik Instagram post was in 2018, the year the Braves drafted him in the 14th round out of Rialto (Calif.) High School. It is a picture of him with his beloved dog, Titan. Since then, he has posted a sprinkling of game action plus a picture with his two daughters, Ariel and Rose. Posting has accelerated since he joined the Rockies in a 2023 trade and debuted with them in September.
Like many athletes, Vodnik has been careful with social media, but he also wants to share the fun of an event that is designed to celebrate the sport with passionate fans. Vodnik made sure that Team Mexico, and his manager for the Rockies season, Warren Schaeffer, were fine with the posting.
“This is supposed to be a fun game,” Schaeffer said. “As long as it doesn’t affect the clubhouse and the veterans are good with it, to each their own. Have some fun during Spring Training.”
At the WBC, Vodnik pitched a scoreless inning with two walks against Great Britain in Mexico’s first game. Mexico’s next game is against Italy in Houston on Wednesday at 5 p.m. MDT.
Vodnik said players, for good reason, generally filter their social media presence through teams. He doesn’t want to become a social media mogul, but this was a good time to try something on his own.
“This was my idea, and this is a great opportunity,” Vodnik said. “The WBC is a big stage. I was like, it’s really cool to see what things are like behind the scenes. I wanted to capture it.”