Robert Stock

In the minor leagues in 2019, pitching 25 games for the El Paso Chihuahuas in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and 2 games for the AZL Padres in Arizona League, he was a combined 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA as he struck out 45 batters in 30.1 innings (averaging 13.4 strikeouts per 9 innings).

On October 30, 2019, Stock was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies.

On April 1, 2019, Stock threw a fastball that was timed at 100.6 miles per hour (161.9 km/h), the second-fastest pitch Statcast had ever recorded for a Padre (behind only a 100.8 miles per hour (162.2 km/h) pitch by Jose Dominguez in 2016). Later in the season he was timed at 102 miles per hour (164 km/h). He regularly reaches 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) with his fastball. His season ended three months early, as he suffered a right biceps strain. During the season, he threw a four-seam fastball that averaged 98 mph, an 83 mph slider, and an 85 mph changeup. In 2019 with the Padres he was 1-0 in ten relief appearances with a 10.13 ERA, as he struck out 15 batters in 10.2 innings (averaging 12.7 sttrikeouts per 9 innings).

On October 31, 2019, Stock was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies.

The San Diego Padres promoted Stock to the major leagues on June 24, 2018, and he made his major league debut that day at 28 years of age, nine years after he was drafted as a catcher. For the 2018 season he was 1–1 with a 2.50 ERA in 32 relief appearances over 39.2 innings, in which he struck out 38 batters. He threw 11 of the 12 fastest pitches by San Diego pitchers in 2018. In 2018, he had the second-lowest swing rate for his in-strike-zone sliders of any pitcher in baseball (43.1%), behind only Aroldis Chapman (42.5%).

Stock signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization on March 21, 2017. Between Class A-Advanced and Class AA, Stock was 9–5 with a 2.82 ERA in 70 innings in 41 games. He elected free agency on November 6, 2017.

The San Diego Padres signed him before the 2018 season on November 27, 2017, with a non-roster invitation to spring training included. In spring training, his fastball reached 100 mph. Stock began the 2018 season playing for the San Antonio Missions of the Class AA Texas League, and received a midseason promotion to the El Paso Chihuahuas of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. Between the two teams in 2018, before he was called up to the major leagues he was 1–0 with 9 saves and a 1.69 ERA in 32 relief appearances over 37.1 innings, in which he gave up 22 hits and struck out 42 batters (averaging 10.2 strikeouts per 9 innings).

In 2016, Stock signed to play for the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League, an independent baseball league, for whom he was 1–2 with a 2.85 ERA in 60 innings over 52 games (a league record). He said he never thought about quitting, not when he was released or even when he was playing independent baseball in New Jersey. Stock said: “Mostly because what else is there that’s better than playing baseball? I played a year of independent baseball, and that’s about as low on the totem pole as you can get but it was one of the best times I’ve had playing baseball. There was no thought about stopping." He recalled that "One offseason, I was living in my parents' basement and I was playing video games and my mother said, 'Go out and do something," and I said, 'Mom, relax. I'm going to play in the Major Leagues someday.'"

On March 9, 2015, Stock signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros organization. He was released by the club on March 31, 2015.

On May 4, 2015, Stock signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished 2015 in the Pirates minor leagues, playing for the GCL Pirates, Bradenton Marauders, and Altoona Curve. He elected free agency on November 6, 2015.

In 2013, the Cardinals transitioned Stock into a full-time pitcher. In 2013, with the Peoria Chiefs in the Midwest League he was 0–1 with a 2.30 ERA, and with the Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League he was 2–0 with a 4.37 ERA. The Cardinals released him on December 20, 2014.

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Stock in the second round, with the 67th overall selection, of the 2009 MLB draft, and he signed for a $525,000 signing bonus. In 2009, as a 19-year-old he was both a Topps Short-Season/Rookie All-Star and an Appalachian League All-Star at catcher, as he batted .322/.386/.550 with 7 home runs (tied for third among 2009 Cardinals draft picks) for the Johnson City Cardinals. Baseball America rated him the 10th-best prospect in the Cardinals organization. He played as a catcher until 2011, batting .241 in 680 at bats.

Stock passed up what some felt was a certain first-round selection in the 2007 MLB draft, to instead enroll a year early at the age of 16, in the University of Southern California (USC) in its Resident Honors Program, which allows 30 high school students to enroll a year early, the first athlete to do so in USC history. He began college while he was still wearing braces. He played college baseball for the USC Trojans as a catcher and a pitcher. In three years at USC, Stock had a .263 career batting average, threw out 33.8% of baserunners, and as a pitcher (and sometimes closer, sometimes starter) was 8–7 with a 3.38 ERA and nine saves as opponents batted .228 against him. In the summers of 2007 (as the youngest player in the league) and 2008 he played for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where both seasons he was an All Star.

Stock attended Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, and played for the school's Agoura High Chargers baseball team as a cleanup-batting catcher and a pitcher. In 2003, his sophomore season, he had a .405 batting average with eight home runs, and on the mound was 5–1 with a 2.85 ERA as batters hit .190 against him. In 2004, his junior year, he batted .456 with six home runs and 25 RBIs and caught 70 percent of would-be basestealers. He also had a 5–3 win–loss record and a 2.69 earned run average (ERA) as a pitcher, as his fastball reached 95 miles per hour (153 km/h) and batters hit .218 against him. He was named Baseball America' s 2005 Youth Player of the Year at 15 years of age (the first time the award was won by a high school underclassman), Los Angeles Times Player of the Year, and All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) First Team as he developed a reputation for hitting 400-foot home runs with wood bats. He graduated from Agoura a year early, an honor student with a 3.8 GPA and a 1410 SAT score.

As a 12-year-old, Stock was throwing an 80 mph fastball. In 2002, he threw a no-hitter to lead Agoura to an 11–1 victory over Taiwan in the Pony Baseball's Bronco League World Series (ages 11–12) championship game. Baseball America rated him as the best baseball player of his age in the country when he was 13 years old in 2003, 14 years old in 2004, and 15 years old in 2005. Stock played for the United States junior national baseball team in 2004 (as the team's youngest player ever, at 14 years of age, and number one pitcher) and 2005.

Robert Anthony Stock (born November 21, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft. Stock signed with the San Diego Padres in 2018, and made his MLB debut in June of that year. His fastball has been timed as high as 102 miles per hour.