University of Minnesota Athletics
Gilbreath Uses Unique Year to Reignite Pro Career
12/16/2020 9:08:00 AM | Baseball
In Lucas Gilbreath's mind, there was really only ever one way to attack 2020: with everything he had. After the 2020 Minor League Baseball season was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many up-and-coming professional players, such as Gilbreath, were left without a season in which to compete. But instead of taking a step backward and losing an entire year of development, the former Gopher star took it upon himself to continue to grow.
"To me, it was an opportunity to really be able to work on stuff, when my arm was in shape and I was ready to go," said Gilbreath. "I tried to take advantage of it and take it as an opportunity and as a blessing in disguise to really go in there and be able to throw bullpens and work on stuff and see hitters, and really try and make effective changes."
Without access to a typical Minor League campaign, Gilbreath channeled his energy into the practice field and weight room. As a native of Westminster, Colorado, Gilbreath turned to the nearby Thunder Baseball Academy in Broomfield – a place he gives pitching lessons in the offseason to youth-to-high school-aged players. With the facility shut down due to the pandemic, Gilbreath was given full reign to utilize the space privately. From late spring through the duration of the summer, the southpaw spent the wee hours of the morning meticulously going through his throwing program and training.
"I was really able to make changes because, in my opinion, there was no excuse not to," said Gilbreath. "I had everything I needed and I had all the time to do it."
For a veteran Minor Leaguer like Gilbreath, the time away from actual, on-field competition provided not a roadblock, but an opportunity. In a sense, the former seventh round pick's professional career had stalled over the past couple seasons. After pitching to a 5.04 ERA with 119 strikeouts over 116 innings as a starting pitcher at the Single-A level in 2018, Gilbreath was promoted to High-A for the 2019 campaign. There, he made 28 appearances – all as a starter – and finished the season with a 5.81 ERA and 143 strikeouts across 144 frames.
"I didn't have the most success in the world, but the ups and downs kind of helped me and motivated me to keep improving and keep getting better at some of those aspects," said Gilbreath.
Entering 2020, Gilbreath was set to begin his fourth year in the Colorado Rockies organization. Although young at the age of 24, it was clear the 2017 First Team All-Big Ten honoree needed to adapt if he was going replicate the same success at the professional level that he once experienced in a Gopher uniform.
To those in need of a reminder, Gilbreath enjoyed an excellent, three-year career with the Maroon & Gold prior to his selection in the 2017 MLB Draft. From 2015-17, Gilbreath tossed 142 1/3 innings for the Gophers, going 9-7 with a 2.91 ERA and 168 strikeouts.
After pitching out of the bullpen throughout the 2016 campaign (3-2, 33 IP, 1.36 ERA, 46 SO) and achieving tremendous results, the left-hander transitioned to a starting role as a junior in 2017. In what ultimately proved to be his final year with Minnesota, Gilbreath went 5-2 and paced the Gopher rotation with a 2.66 ERA over 81 1/3 innings of work, striking out 92 batters.
Based off that resume, it was no mystery as to why Colorado selected Gilbreath in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft. However, it took an odd culmination of the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League season to push him into becoming the type of pitcher he always strived to be.
As this past summer drew to a close, Gilbreath found himself feeling better and better about the offseason progress he was making. Near the end of the summer, yet another unique opportunity arose. Frank Gonzales, the pitching coach of Colorado's Double-A Hartford Yard Goats, was living locally in the Fort Collins area and agreed to work with Gilbreath. Every Sunday for roughly one month, Gilbreath threw in front of Gonzales, gaining valuable feedback while simultaneously having the opportunity to showcase his recent progress. These sessions would later lay the groundwork for the turning point in the former Gopher's career.
"Leading up to Instructional League, we were actually getting a lot of work in and he was getting to see the progress I was making, and he was reporting that back," said Gilbreath. "We got some good work done."
With the 2020 MLB season winding to a close, it became time for organizations to construct their Instructional League rosters – typically designed for younger, recently drafted players in need of hands-on coaching. As a player that would soon be embarking on his fifth year in the organization in 2021, Gilbreath did not exactly fit that mold. Still, his tireless offseason work ethic and side sessions with Gonzales proved to have been well worth the effort. At the onset of October, Colorado's organizational pitching coordinator, Steve Merriman, made the call Gilbreath had long been waiting to receive.
"He said, 'Look, we'd love to bring you in if you're ready to go and we'd like you to get some work as a reliever, if that's something you're interested in,'" said Gilbreath. "For me, I was very excited and that's kind of something I'd been hoping for for a long time. I was immediately like, 'Yep. I'm ready. Tell me when.'"
Within a matter of days, Gilbreath was on a plane headed to the Rockies' 2020 Instructional League camp. While there, he would have the opportunity to pitch to live hitters in a game setting for the first time since Spring Training – a gap spanning over seven months. After throwing a bullpen session and facing some live hitters upon his arrival, that time finally came.
"All of a sudden, I was up there and I'm throwing, and it felt great. It felt effortless. Everything felt great and the results were there with it," said Gilbreath. "It was great to see some hitters and work on things and see the progress we had made throughout that dead period."
Although Gilbreath said it took a small adjustment period to get used to the routine of being a reliever again, the results spoke for themselves. So much so, that Colorado decided they would be taking no risks in letting another organization pry the 24-year-old southpaw away via the upcoming December Rule 5 Draft, which allows teams to draft Minor League players off of other teams' farm systems. In order to ensure they held onto him, the Rockies added Gilbreath to their 40-man roster in advance of the Nov. 20 deadline – just weeks after the conclusion of Instructional League camp. The news came in the form of phone calls from the Rockies farm director, Zach Wilson, as well as general manager Jeff Bridich.
The newfound opportunity means that in advance of his fifth Minor League season, Gilbreath may very well be on the verge of a Major League debut. Gilbreath credits his recent breakthrough not only to the offseason work he put in, but also to his experience as a Gopher from 2015-17.
"I think Gopher Baseball is hands down one of the top three – I would argue the best – developmental programs in the country, top-to-bottom. That comes from working with Ty McDevitt and that comes from working with Todd Oakes when he was there," said Gilbreath. "That comes from [head coach John Anderson] and his ability to create leadership and great characteristics that have helped me through the ups and downs and really pushed me forward. There is no better school a kid should want to go to in order to develop."
In large part, it is that experience that has paved the way for Gilbreath's next big break. But he is not taking it for granted – not now, not ever.
"The journey isn't done yet, for me at least, and I need to keep working because ultimately, I want to help the big league team win games. That may come this year. That may come somewhere down the road. But for me, I need to keep working and improving on the things I need to get better at, so that when the call does come, I'm ready to go and I can perform," said Gilbreath. "It's a blessing and it's a great opportunity, and I'm excited for what's in the future."
"To me, it was an opportunity to really be able to work on stuff, when my arm was in shape and I was ready to go," said Gilbreath. "I tried to take advantage of it and take it as an opportunity and as a blessing in disguise to really go in there and be able to throw bullpens and work on stuff and see hitters, and really try and make effective changes."
Without access to a typical Minor League campaign, Gilbreath channeled his energy into the practice field and weight room. As a native of Westminster, Colorado, Gilbreath turned to the nearby Thunder Baseball Academy in Broomfield – a place he gives pitching lessons in the offseason to youth-to-high school-aged players. With the facility shut down due to the pandemic, Gilbreath was given full reign to utilize the space privately. From late spring through the duration of the summer, the southpaw spent the wee hours of the morning meticulously going through his throwing program and training.
"I was really able to make changes because, in my opinion, there was no excuse not to," said Gilbreath. "I had everything I needed and I had all the time to do it."
For a veteran Minor Leaguer like Gilbreath, the time away from actual, on-field competition provided not a roadblock, but an opportunity. In a sense, the former seventh round pick's professional career had stalled over the past couple seasons. After pitching to a 5.04 ERA with 119 strikeouts over 116 innings as a starting pitcher at the Single-A level in 2018, Gilbreath was promoted to High-A for the 2019 campaign. There, he made 28 appearances – all as a starter – and finished the season with a 5.81 ERA and 143 strikeouts across 144 frames.
"I didn't have the most success in the world, but the ups and downs kind of helped me and motivated me to keep improving and keep getting better at some of those aspects," said Gilbreath.
Entering 2020, Gilbreath was set to begin his fourth year in the Colorado Rockies organization. Although young at the age of 24, it was clear the 2017 First Team All-Big Ten honoree needed to adapt if he was going replicate the same success at the professional level that he once experienced in a Gopher uniform.
To those in need of a reminder, Gilbreath enjoyed an excellent, three-year career with the Maroon & Gold prior to his selection in the 2017 MLB Draft. From 2015-17, Gilbreath tossed 142 1/3 innings for the Gophers, going 9-7 with a 2.91 ERA and 168 strikeouts.
After pitching out of the bullpen throughout the 2016 campaign (3-2, 33 IP, 1.36 ERA, 46 SO) and achieving tremendous results, the left-hander transitioned to a starting role as a junior in 2017. In what ultimately proved to be his final year with Minnesota, Gilbreath went 5-2 and paced the Gopher rotation with a 2.66 ERA over 81 1/3 innings of work, striking out 92 batters.
Based off that resume, it was no mystery as to why Colorado selected Gilbreath in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft. However, it took an odd culmination of the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League season to push him into becoming the type of pitcher he always strived to be.
As this past summer drew to a close, Gilbreath found himself feeling better and better about the offseason progress he was making. Near the end of the summer, yet another unique opportunity arose. Frank Gonzales, the pitching coach of Colorado's Double-A Hartford Yard Goats, was living locally in the Fort Collins area and agreed to work with Gilbreath. Every Sunday for roughly one month, Gilbreath threw in front of Gonzales, gaining valuable feedback while simultaneously having the opportunity to showcase his recent progress. These sessions would later lay the groundwork for the turning point in the former Gopher's career.
"Leading up to Instructional League, we were actually getting a lot of work in and he was getting to see the progress I was making, and he was reporting that back," said Gilbreath. "We got some good work done."
With the 2020 MLB season winding to a close, it became time for organizations to construct their Instructional League rosters – typically designed for younger, recently drafted players in need of hands-on coaching. As a player that would soon be embarking on his fifth year in the organization in 2021, Gilbreath did not exactly fit that mold. Still, his tireless offseason work ethic and side sessions with Gonzales proved to have been well worth the effort. At the onset of October, Colorado's organizational pitching coordinator, Steve Merriman, made the call Gilbreath had long been waiting to receive.
"He said, 'Look, we'd love to bring you in if you're ready to go and we'd like you to get some work as a reliever, if that's something you're interested in,'" said Gilbreath. "For me, I was very excited and that's kind of something I'd been hoping for for a long time. I was immediately like, 'Yep. I'm ready. Tell me when.'"
Within a matter of days, Gilbreath was on a plane headed to the Rockies' 2020 Instructional League camp. While there, he would have the opportunity to pitch to live hitters in a game setting for the first time since Spring Training – a gap spanning over seven months. After throwing a bullpen session and facing some live hitters upon his arrival, that time finally came.
"All of a sudden, I was up there and I'm throwing, and it felt great. It felt effortless. Everything felt great and the results were there with it," said Gilbreath. "It was great to see some hitters and work on things and see the progress we had made throughout that dead period."
Although Gilbreath said it took a small adjustment period to get used to the routine of being a reliever again, the results spoke for themselves. So much so, that Colorado decided they would be taking no risks in letting another organization pry the 24-year-old southpaw away via the upcoming December Rule 5 Draft, which allows teams to draft Minor League players off of other teams' farm systems. In order to ensure they held onto him, the Rockies added Gilbreath to their 40-man roster in advance of the Nov. 20 deadline – just weeks after the conclusion of Instructional League camp. The news came in the form of phone calls from the Rockies farm director, Zach Wilson, as well as general manager Jeff Bridich.
The newfound opportunity means that in advance of his fifth Minor League season, Gilbreath may very well be on the verge of a Major League debut. Gilbreath credits his recent breakthrough not only to the offseason work he put in, but also to his experience as a Gopher from 2015-17.
"I think Gopher Baseball is hands down one of the top three – I would argue the best – developmental programs in the country, top-to-bottom. That comes from working with Ty McDevitt and that comes from working with Todd Oakes when he was there," said Gilbreath. "That comes from [head coach John Anderson] and his ability to create leadership and great characteristics that have helped me through the ups and downs and really pushed me forward. There is no better school a kid should want to go to in order to develop."
In large part, it is that experience that has paved the way for Gilbreath's next big break. But he is not taking it for granted – not now, not ever.
"The journey isn't done yet, for me at least, and I need to keep working because ultimately, I want to help the big league team win games. That may come this year. That may come somewhere down the road. But for me, I need to keep working and improving on the things I need to get better at, so that when the call does come, I'm ready to go and I can perform," said Gilbreath. "It's a blessing and it's a great opportunity, and I'm excited for what's in the future."
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