Amir Garrett Could’ve Been a Two Sport Star
The Cincinnati Reds have a tough decision to make when it comes to how to get the most out of their 25-year old former top-100 prospect, Amir Garrett. In 2017, he was, at times, a tremendous starting pitcher before injuries paused his campaign. However, he wasn’t very effective when he returned, finishing 2017 with a 3-8 record and an astronomical WHIP of 1.61. Because of the inconsistencies, Cincinnati may be better suited to rely on Garrett out of the bullpen, even though he has never been a reliever during his professional career.
The Reds will have to decide over the rest of spring training whether or not they should cultivate Garrett as a starter or reliever. It’s quite the tough decision, given that Garrett was at times electric- his 6 shutout innings in his 2017 debut stand out as one example. But, what if I told you Garrett himself once made an even tougher decision?
Growing up, Garrett was not just a prodigious baseball player, but a true talent on the basketball court, as well. In fact, by his junior year of high school, Garrett transferred to Findlay College Prep in Henderson, Nevada, a school well-known on the national level for its basketball prowess. Findlay did not even have a baseball team, and Garrett abandoned the sport. However, during his senior year, Garrett began working out for baseball again, and, armed with a mid-nineties fastball, was chosen in the 22nd Round of the 2011 MLB Draft despite an intent to play college basketball.
Being selected was a welcome surprise, but Garrett was committed to the hardwood. Ranked as one of the top one hundred best basketball prospects in his high school class, Garrett committed to Big East titan St. John’s in November of 2010, well before baseball had even re-entered his picture. He had chosen the Red Storm over other such prodigious schools as Kansas, Oregon, and Arizona.
To the surprise of some, Garrett signed with the Reds during the summer of 2011, who gave him their blessing to continue with basketball during baseball’s offseason. Garrett showed up in Queens with sky-high expectations, one of the biggest prizes in a vaunted Red Storm 2011 recruiting class. The group, ranked tops in the Big East and seventh in the country per 247 Sports, also featured current NBA player Maurice Harkless. From there, however, the story becomes murky.
Garrett failed to academically qualify for the first part of the season, unable to join the team until December of 2011. When he did suit up, he joined a dysfunctional unit that ended the 2011-12 season with a 13-19 record. Chief amongst the disappointments was Garrett, who averaged only 7.4 points and 4 rebounds a game even while starting most of his games. Following another underwhelming and tumultuous season in 2012-13, Garrett announced his intention to transfer from St. John’s.
A Los Angeles native, Garrett wound up transferring to nearby Cal State Northridge. Hardly a basketball power, Garrett would also have to sit out the upcoming 2013-14 season due to NCAA transfer regulations. Then, however, another option looked better for Garrett: minor league baseball.
Garrett made a couple cameo appearances for the Reds’ Rookie-level teams in the summer of 2012. He also made it up to A ball in 2013. Following his year in at Cal State Northridge, Garrett decided to give up on his two-sport dreams, declaring in August that he would not be returning to CS-Northridge for the 2013-14 season. Instead, he would devote himself full time to the baseball diamond, where he was experiencing major success during the summer of 2014.
The rest is history. With his mind fully focused on baseball, Garrett finished the 2014 season with a 3.65 ERA in 27 starts for A-level Dayton. The following season, Garrett dominated in High-A for the Daytona Tortugas, posting a 2.44 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Following a 2016 season split between Double-A and Triple-A, Garrett was rated among the best prospects in baseball and he made the Cincinnati Reds out of spring training in 2017.
Garrett should be on the Reds’ roster in 2018, whether that’s as a reliever or a starter. But his journey to the big leagues has been a unique one, punctuated by his flirtation with being a two-sport star. While Garrett’s ascension to the majors has proven that he made the right choice, he joins Jeff Samardzija as a Major League pitcher who was more famous in college for playing another sport.
-Nick Schwartz
