With a 2–0 record and 31 strikeouts in 23-2/3 innings, Cyclones pitcher Nick Carr may be the most dominating starter the team has.
This off-season however, Carr was the organization’s biggest loser and it wasn’t because of his record in the Winter League. Losing 40 pounds off his 6-foot-1 frame, the new-and-improved righty now weighs in at 190 pounds — and feels phenomenal.
“I always felt like I was out of shape on the mound,” said the Twin Falls, Idaho-native. “When I’d run, I’d get shin splints. Now I’m one of the faster guys on the team.”
Hiring a personal trainer after struggling in his first season in the organization last season, Carr made it his top priority to get into shape. However, transforming himself into the Adonis he is today wasn’t exactly easy.
“It was really hard, but it was kind of embarrassing to be on the mound the way I was. I had to do something about it. I’m not the type of person who likes to go to the gym every day, but I told myself I had to lose this weight. I even surprised myself,” said Carr, who had a 3-3 record and a 4.88 ERA last season at Kingsport, the Mets’ rookie-league affiliate. “It wasn’t easy, but I did it right way. I stopped eating junk food and I was in the gym everyday lifting and running.”
More important, the Cyclones’ coaches love what they see from the leaner, meaner Carr.
“He has good stuff,” said Brooklyn manager Edgar Alfonzo. “He really battles out there and he’s one of the reasons why we’ve been so successful this season.”
