香港三级片

JUPITER, Fla. 鈥� The catchers changed through Tekoah Roby鈥檚 years of youth baseball as a rising fireballer from Florida, but the sign that beckoned that fastball never did.

Drop the horns.

Bring the bull.

If whoever was catcher wanted an elevated fastball 鈥� and with Roby鈥檚 fastball, the catcher wanted that a lot 鈥� he would extend his index and pinky fingers and tuck the other two back with the thumb: like Texas鈥� 鈥楬ook 鈥榚m Horns,鈥� but pointed down. Roby knew exactly what it meant.

鈥淟et it rip,鈥� Roby said. 鈥淧ut a little extra on it.鈥�

He was about to learn exactly what set it apart.

What he knew as 鈥渉op鈥� or 鈥渮ip,鈥� the liveliness of his fastball or its 鈥渞un,鈥� the rise of it or, a generation or so ago, the giddyup, can be measured now as vertical break, and Roby鈥檚 is top-shelf. After selecting him in the third round of the 2020 draft, the Texas Rangers showed Roby the data, explained what it meant, and encouraged him to 鈥渓ean into it.鈥� That pitch is the right-hander鈥檚 superpower. It makes him who he is as a pitcher. A change in teams to the Cardinals hasn鈥檛 changed that, but two seasons riddled by injuries left him searching and uncertain. This spring seems like a sign 鈥� as pointed as the horns.

From his first outings against hitters this spring with the Cardinals, Roby has impressed with his stuff. He had an elite vertical break of 20 inches-21 inches in an early outing, and this spring he ranks among the best in camp for the blend of that break, high-octane velocity that reaches 98 mph, and command at the upper-limit of the zone. He became the first Cardinals pitcher to complete three innings in a Grapefruit League game Friday against Houston, and afterward his breaking ball got the praise.

鈥淥ne of the most electric arms in camp,鈥� manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淚f he鈥檚 healthy, really interesting arm.鈥�

That is the catch, as much a part of Roby鈥檚 career as his fastball.

The potential prize of the Cardinals鈥� first trade deadline sell-off in a generation, Roby came from the Rangers in July 2023 along with infielder Thomas Saggese and lefty reliever John King for pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton. In the deal, the Rangers got pitchers who contributed to a 2023 World Series championship. The Cardinals got King, a steadying presence in the big-league bullpen, and Saggese, the Texas League MVP who is auditioning this spring for a utility role in the majors. In three other deals that week, the Cardinals acquired a total of seven pitchers, six of whom are still in the organization, five in spring camp.

Roby has arguably the highest ceiling of the players acquired, and what the Cardinals develop in him will determine how they did at the deadline 鈥� what win they got from the losing.

Finding out starts with keeping Roby on the mound.

The 23-year-old right-hander has dealt with elbow and shoulder injuries throughout his pro career. He went on the injured list in May 2024 and missed stretches of three months. He鈥檚 been limited to 24 starts in the past two years, and when he did pitch in 2024, he mostly struggled. In 10 starts, Roby had a 6.57 ERA, and not even a strong strikeout-per-nine (9.2) could suppress his hits-per-nine rate (11.0).

The Post-Dispatch asked Roby on Saturday morning if missing time due to injury challenged his confidence, introduced more questions and concerns than the 鈥渓et it rip鈥� days.

鈥淰ery often you鈥檒l have that thought of something doesn鈥檛 feel right, and is this happening again?鈥� Roby said. 鈥淏ut I think just trusting what everybody has told me helps. 鈥榊ou鈥檙e healthy, go pitch.鈥� It really comes down to understanding how your mind can play tricks on you based on what鈥檚 happened in the past. Fear is very powerful if you allow it. Making sure that just as that fear creeps in I鈥檓 able to come back with, hey, I鈥檓 healthy. I鈥檓 OK. This (new) routine. I trust it. I trust that I鈥檓 healthy. Don鈥檛 go searching for things. Do not allow that (fear) to control your narrative.鈥�

Roby described how he took his back this offseason.

Unsettled by the injuries, the limited innings, and what he called 鈥渢he poor performance鈥� within those innings, Roby huddled with his agent, the Cardinals, and others he trusted to look at things to change.

鈥淚t came down to me not really feeling super-confident in who I was,鈥� Roby said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have a strong foundation. I had an idea of what I was as a pitcher, but ultimately, I was trying to figure it out. What we did this offseason was build a foundation. It鈥檚 like a true north that whatever is going on, I can return to this. It鈥檚 peace of mind that this is who I am. This is what I do.鈥�

Roby visited a training facility in Atlanta, where he went through an evaluation that included motion-capture technology and an analysis of his frame, mechanics, and pitches. He left with a new plan for how he prepares between starts. It鈥檚 all about the volume. There were bullpen days that Roby would make 100 throws, or afternoons he would set as a minimum day of 25 throws that became 45 to 50 throws because he was searching for a feel, and, seriously, he鈥檚 a pitcher what鈥檚 a few more throws? It鈥檚 his living.

鈥淭hrowing more doesn鈥檛 really suit me,鈥� he said of his frame. 鈥淚f I wasn鈥檛 careful, I was trying to work on things, and I didn鈥檛 really have a good understanding of boundaries.鈥�

This is first spring training with the new throw-conservation routine, and it鈥檚 too early in the schedule to know if it will reduce the injuries. A year ago, the Cardinals planned to give him a start 鈥� to show off their deadline score 鈥� but back tightness interrupted. This spring, as he bids to be a part of the Class AAA Memphis rotation for most of the summer, Roby has yet to miss a scheduled throw. And he鈥檚 performed in them.

He averaged 97.1 mph in his first spring outing, touched 98.2 mph, and had more than twice as many swings and misses (five) as he had balls in play (two). For an encore Friday, he complicated his appearance with two hits and two walks but minimized the damage to one run. He unnerved a few hitters with a breaking ball and the fastball sizzled.

Catchers no longer put down the horns for it.

There are new, more complex signals, and there鈥檚 PitchCom these days.

Signs change. The fastball doesn鈥檛.

Asked Saturday if he knows who he is as a pitcher again, Roby nodded.

鈥淚鈥檓 a pitcher who is always going to have his fastball,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a good fastball. I like to challenge hitters with it. I like to attack hitters with it. I think one thing I do really well when I鈥檓 at my best is I compete. It is a relentless attack of the zone. I might not have it every day, but even when I don鈥檛 have that I still chose to believe that is who I am. I attack hitters. I give myself a shot no matter what.鈥�

And health?

鈥淎nd,鈥� he smiled, 鈥淚鈥檓 healthy.鈥�