.190 in the Minors to MLB All-Star

Matt Joyce spent 14 seasons in Major League Baseball. Of those 14 seasons, six were spent with the Tampa Bay Rays. Though Joyce had plenty of success at the major league level, there were plenty of challenging moments especially during his minor league career. Joyce hit .190 two months into one of his minor league seasons. Who would think that a future All-Star outfielder would be challenged this strongly at the lower levels?

I spoke to Joyce about his early struggles and what he learned from that process.

“I overcame a lot of adversity,” said Joyce. There were times where I was just in the minor leagues and I was hitting .190 after two months of the season. I remember lying in bed, tears in my eyes, can’t sleep because I’m struggling. I’m frustrated, stressed out, and I just remember thinking, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to make it.’ I decided I just need help. I need outside answers.”

The outside answers that he was looking for didn’t relate to baseball. He needed something healthy to get his mind away from the sport and settle the anxiety and nerves that were so controlling. He headed to the bookstore and grabbed a few books. One of the books was The Law of Attraction by **Esther and Jerry Hicks.

His objective was to learn not only how to control his mind, but to focus on healthy habits and investing in himself. This knowledge would be with him and strengthen him regardless of if his baseball career panned out the way he had hoped.

Youth athletes should not only be investing in themselves as an athlete, but they should also be consuming content and materials that will help them grow and become well-rounded in their life outside the game.

Matt Joyce ended up recovering from the slump. He made it to the big leagues in 2008 with Detroit and was a 2011 All-Star with Tampa Bay.

While it may be fun to eat, sleep, and breathe baseball, it can be a detriment if there are not other enjoyable hobbies or resources to learn from outside the game.

You MUST make the investment and take the time to level up your game even if it’s not what others are doing. Take the time to read, write, and go do the things that will help detach yourself from your playing career or statistics while simultaneously freeing you mentally.

Thank you for checking out this edition of the Big League Perspective Newsletter! Be sure to share with a friend, teammate, or kid who may benefit! We’ll talk soon! In the meantime, be sure to connect on social media @billythebatboy. 🙌