Off-Season Update: Jake Stinnett

Jake Stinnett holds a place in South Bend Cubs history as the first starting pitcher under the rebranded franchise. He spent the entire season with the club, pitching in 117 innings and striking out 91 batters in his first full season in affiliated baseball. We spoke to Jake about the 2015 season and what he has been up to since the end of the season.

 

After the season ended, where was the first place you traveled to?

After the season, I went back to my hometown in Vista, California. I recently moved to Nashville, Tennessee to do my offseason training, but before I began that I wanted to see all of my family and friends in California. I spent about a month in California before heading out to Nashville. 

What are some of your favorite off-season activities?

I keep it pretty simple in the offseason. When I am not with my family, I spend the majority of my day throwing and lifting weights. I have recently been learning to shoot with my father, so we spend a day at the shooting range every so often. I have also started to golf more often when the weather permits. On the weekends in Nashville, my buddies and I will check out the downtown area, going to whichever bar has the best live music that night. Often times, there will be free country concerts as well, so we try to take advantage of those. Other than that, it's a pretty mellow offseason. Most nights are spent relaxing and watching movies or TV shows on Netflix.

Do you have a favorite moment or event you attended this off-season?

So far, my favorite event I attended was the free country concert outside of the Bridgestone area in Nashville, TN. It was held the night before the CMA Awards, so there were a lot of popular artists performing that night.  

Do you still keep in touch with some of your teammates from 2015? If so, have you gotten together or hung out?

I keep in touch with a few of my teammates from this past season, along with other guys in the organization that I did not play with this year. I do all of my training with Josh Conway, Neil Ramirez, and Justin Grimm, so we tend to spend a lot of time together during the week.

Do you have a regular workout routine to prepare for the 2016 season? Is there one particular part of your game you have been working on?

Yes, my workout routine consists of throwing every morning and strength and conditioning every afternoon of the week. I am working on cleaning up my pitching mechanics by learning to use my lower half more efficiently. I think this will help improve my command and overall consistency, which is my main goal for this offseason.

What was your favorite part about the 2015 season? Are there any moments that stand out to you personally or a team moment?

2015 had a lot of ups and downs for our team and for myself. I think it was a great learning experience for our entire team and am very excited to see how well we do this upcoming season. My experience in South Bend was awesome. The support we received from the coaches, players, owners, fans and personnel was second to none. I can't say enough about how awesome it was to play for the South Bend Cubs. My favorite memory was probably the first game of the year when Cael Brockmeyer hit a walk off homer to win the game. He swung at the first pitch thrown to him and absolutely crushed a home run to left center.

How often did your family get to watch or hear you play? Did they ever get to visit during the season?

My family kept up with every one of my starts online and they were able to visit me once towards the end of the season.  

What was your walk-up music for 2015 and why?

I chose "The Outsiders" by Eric Church. He is my favorite country musician and this particular song was one that seems to get me fired up before my starts. I used this song in my last year of college and had success, so I figured I would stick with it. 

What is/are your goal(s) for the 2016 season?

To win a championship at whatever level I am at.  

Is there anything you want to tell the fans of the Cubs Organization?

There are no better fans in the world than the Chicago Cubs fans. It has only taken me one year in the minor leagues to understand this. You cannot put a price on the loyalty, passion and support that the players receive from the fans, and I truly believe that the fans are one of the biggest reasons why the Cubs are such a spectacular organization. Thank you all very, very much.