Patrick Reilly's baseball career has taken him all over. From the highest collegiate ranks in the SEC at Vanderbilt to the professional ranks being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and down to Florida to embark on his professional career before moving on to his current destination with High-A Greensboro in North Carolina, .
But for the first time in years, it's brought him back home to New Jersey - where the Freehold native's only high school varsity season at Christian Brothers Academy, as a junior in 2019, resulted in a 7-0 record with a 0.67 ERA with 67 strikeouts and 19 walks in 42 innings (the 2020 local baseball season was canceled due to the pandemic).
"It's a little bit strange, just because (Greensboro) spent so much time together as a team and I think that's what makes us successful," said Reilly. "And just being here and being with my parents, we've kind of had that first bit of separation where I'm going home and being with my parents. So that's a little bit weird, but like it is a little bit relaxing and it's peaceful."
While it's good to be back home, Reilly is most at home when he's on the mound. And after having controlled sample sizes, he's finally gotten to explore his true potential as a starter with no limits this season. He's already pitched more innings in 2024 than in any of his years in college or high school, and the results have been impressively better as he's posting some of the best numbers of his entire career.
"It's a little bit of consistency and knowing you're gonna pitch every fifth or sixth day here," Reilly explained. "Just because we're playing so many games, starters are going to have to go for five, six innings. And if you're struggling in the second or third in college, you might get pulled for that. Here, you're gonna figure it out and you're gonna work through it."
The consistency of the rotation schedule means he'll have a prime time slot in front of his hometown crowd, as he'll get the start Saturday night against the BlueClaws. He's more than adapted to the competition so far in High-A, posting a 4.03 ERA with 79 strikeouts over 60 and one-third innings.
Greensboro narrowly edged out Jersey Shore for the best record in the South Atlantic League in the first half of the season, and his start on Saturday will be a high-stakes moment. But as Reilly explained, navigating challenges has been crucially helpful to his development.
"That's one of the biggest things that's helped me," Reilly said. "I have that experience, I know what to do. I know not to get down on myself and I can work through it and get through five or six (innings) after that."
His past and hopefully future destinations are having moments of their own with standout pitchers. CBA pitching prospect Chris Levonas is projected to be a high draft pick in the MLB Draft next month. And the first overall pick of the 2023 draft, in which Reilly was a fifth round selection, was standout pitcher Paul Skenes. He has already emerged as a talented rookie for the Pirates this season.
Reilly sees commonalities in each of the destinations.
"What I have noticed throughout the three places (including Vanderbilt) is that all the guys inside the clubhouse were very friendly. They would hang out together inside and outside of the clubhouse," Reilly said. "When you put talent and a lot of fun together, I feel like winning tends to happen."
It's hard to argue with the results, as Greensboro has won two of the first three games out of the six-game series at the Jersey Shore. And while fans are typically ardent in their support of the BlueClaws, it's clear that the local product will get a warm reception in his homecoming.
"It's exciting, it's one of the few times this year I can pitch in front of a big crowd. Not that we don't have big crowds around the league, but I know I have at least 20 or 30 people coming out to see me," said Reilly. "Which is exciting because not everybody gets that opportunity. I feel lucky to be here, and obviously it's a little coincidentally to be here to begin with. But I think I'm extremely lucky to be here."
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