WORCESTER — Before Hunter Dobbins tossed his first Triple-A pitch Friday, the WooSox starting hurler cracked open a Dr Pepper beverage in the bullpen during his pregame warmup.
Call it a soda superstition for the native of Bryan, Texas.
“It kind of settles the nerves a little bit and kind of gets me going,” Dobbins said Thursday.
Following a successful season pitching for the Portland Sea Dogs, the 25-year-old now finds himself with Triple-A Worcester — just one call from the big leagues .
Dobbins better keep the sodas flowing.
“I’m obviously honored to be here,” said Dobbins, who celebrated his birthday Friday. “The front office thinks I’m ready, I know I’m ready, so I’m just really looking forward to the opportunity to show that on Friday and as the season goes on. But they always tell us when we get to Triple A, we’re one phone call away and to be ready, and so I’m just going to keep honing in on my craft and keep getting better every day.
“And you know, when they need me, I’m looking forward to the call.”
In 21 starts with the Sea Dogs this season, Dobbins went 7-3 with a 3.17 ERA. The 6-foot-2 right-hander struck out 97 batters in 105 innings while allowing just 37 earned runs and 39 walks.
Dobbins received his call to Worcester last week. He was reinstated from the development list Friday in time for his first Triple-A outing.
“He’s a guy that creates a lot of whiffs, he’s got a really electric fastball, really good secondary stuff, and I caught him a ton in Portland,” WooSox catcher Kyle Teel said. “He’s worked so hard all year, and he’s had so much success, so I’m just so pumped for him to be up here.”
“He was having a hell of a season in Double A,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said. “He’s earned his way here, so I’m excited to watch him pitch.”
An eighth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Boston selected Dobbins out of Texas Tech University. In 2020, Dobbins appeared in six games as a sophomore for the Red Raiders, tossing 20 innings with a 1.35 ERA.
The red-headed pitcher then tore the UCL in his right elbow prior to the 2021 season. Dobbins underwent Tommy John surgery that March and was drafted three months later by the Red Sox .
“I’m a strong believer in ‘God has a plan,’ ” Dobbins said. “He’s put me in the right position, and now I’m a Red Sox. So I’m loving where I’ve ended up.”
Dobbins’ dad, Lance, pitched at the University of Alabama before being drafted by the New York Yankees twice. As an avid Red Sox fan, however, Lance declined the Yankees’ offers and finally ended up in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
Lance, also a right-handed pitcher, made it all the way to Triple A with Arizona before hanging up his cleats once his oldest son, Hunter Dobbins, was born.
“He’s taught me everything I know. I still find myself calling (my dad) if I have a rough outing,” said Dobbins, who has baby pictures of himself wearing Red Sox T-shirts. “He’s always there. He’s been through it and is there to pick me up if I need him. So he’s definitely been a huge part of my journey.”
That journey has now landed Dobbins in Worcester.
On Friday, he made his Triple-A debut with the WooSox — with “God is in Control” inscribed on his red glove , and a maroon soda can close by. Dobbins pitched five innings, allowing six hits, two runs and four walks while striking out seven in Worcester’s 2-1 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens.
And a favorite soda was never too far from the right-hander’s grasp. Dr Pepper: Just what the Dobbins ordered.
“Dr Pepper needs to get that guy a deal because it’s all over our clubhouse,” Teel said.
“I’ve leaned into it, you know, it's a lot of fun. I actually had a pair of Dr Pepper Crocs delivered (on Wednesday),” Dobbins said. “Now it’s just like, I gotta have at least one or two a day.
“But I really can't put my finger on it. I know I just love it.”
—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'Just what the Doctor ordered': Soda addiction fuels newest WooSox pitcher Hunter Dobbins
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