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College  | Story | 11/6/2021

The PG Path: Josh Hartle

Craig Cozart
Photo: Josh Hartle (Perfect Game)
The PG Path: Max Carlson

The term southpaw developed from the fact that left-handed pitchers face south while in the stretch position because baseball diamonds are typically laid out with home plate to the west.  This term has been traced back to 1885. 



We had the opportunity to catch up with former Perfect Game All-American and current Wake Forest University left-handed pitcher, Josh Hartle, to ask him about his experiences that have led him to where he is today. We appreciate him taking the time out of his busy schedule and hope we can all learn a few things from his path thus far in baseball and in life. 


PG: What was your first experience or memory with the incredible game of baseball? 

Hartle: My first memory was actually when I was 2 of 3 years old playing baseball out in the front yard with my grandmother.  She would come over to watch me during the day while my parents were at work, and she would pitch whiffle balls to me.  We used to do that almost every day and it was when I started to develop my love for the game.   


PG: How old were you when you started playing organized baseball? 
JH: I started playing t-ball when I was 5 years old and moved to machine pitch by the time I was 6 years old.  I played most of my little league career at King Little League here in North Carolina. 


PG: Who are a few of the most influential people in your baseball life to this point? 

JH: My father and my older brother were always there for me.  My father coached a lot of my little league teams through the years which was great and my brother, Zach, was always in the yard playing catch with me.  He is 7 years older than me and kind of blazed the trail for me and my baseball career as he played at every level until he graduated from high school.   


PG: What travel ball organization did you play with most of your amateur career? 

JH: Most of my travel ball career I spent playing with Team Elite. I had a great experience with that organization and that is when I started to get a lot of national exposure.   


PG: When you hear the words Perfect Game Baseball, what is the first thing that comes to mind? 

JH: Competitiveness! Whenever you think of Perfect Game, you think about the best of the best. I always knew that when we were going to a PG event, I was going to have to be ready to compete at the highest level and it really helped me grow as a player. 


PG: How old were you when you played in your first Perfect Game event and where was it? 

JH: I was actually 11 years old at a PG event in Charlotte. That was on the small field, of course, and back then I was mainly a hitter. But I learned at a young age that we would face elite teams anytime we went to a PG event.   


PG: What was your favorite Perfect Game event and why? 

JH: I would have to say it was the PG All-American because I grew up watching the game on TV and dreaming that one day that I would be good enough to play in that event.  I never really thought it was going to be a reality until early in my junior year of high school when things came together for me. Then to look back and realize I achieved that goal was really special for me. 


PG:  For years you have been known as one of the premier left-handed pitchers in your class, how did you develop such an advanced feel for pitching, even at a young age? 

JH: Really it was just from my time playing catch with my older brother in the yard. I was never exposed to a lot of the technology that is out there like Rhapsodo or TrackMan. I would simply throw pitches to my brother, and he would tell me if they worked or if I needed to make an adjustment. Nobody really ever talked to me about mechanics or arm action, it was really just God given feel and ability. I am fortunate to have a clean arm path and understand my body from a delivery standpoint.  


PG: You have pitched in major events all over the world, so what was your best outing or favorite memory on the mound? 

JH: It has to be playing for Team USA and playing for my country.  It was very powerful to know you are playing for something that is much bigger than yourself or just your particular team. Looking back on it to this day, I realize that it was an even bigger deal than I thought at the time. We won two gold medals when I was fortunate enough to play on the 15u team for two years in a row, once when I was 14 years old and the again a year later. We won the first gold medal in Columbia, South America and the second one was in Panama.  


PG: Do you feel Perfect Game had an impact on your development as a player, and if so, how? 

JH: It definitely did, just going back to knowing that you were playing the best of the best was impactful for me. You knew that you had to be ready to compete, play your hardest and execute the game at the highest level. It really helped me build my mental toughness and willingness to leave it all out on the field. 


PG: You were a Perfect Game All-American, what does that mean to you to this day? 

JH: It is still such an honor. Over the years watching the game and seeing those PG All-Americans who are now Big Leaguers is amazing to me. Hopefully I can follow that same path to the Big Leagues one day, but it was such a big goal of mine to be an All-American and very gratifying to look back and say I was able to accomplish that.   


PG: You made a very difficult and impressive decision to withdraw your name from the 2021 MLB Draft. What led you to that decision and why? 
JH: Ever since I was a freshman in high school and I committed to Wake Forest, that was the place I really wanted to be. When I came to summer school at Wake the week before the draft, I just fell in love with this place. It just felt right, like home and I knew that was the path for me and my career. Coach Walter is an awesome man and has been so good to me and the same with Coach Cilento. The coaching staff, including Coach Muscara, showed me that they have my best interest in mind, so I knew I wanted to play college baseball for them.
 

PG: What advice would you give younger players when it comes to positioning themselves to be recruited by colleges and considered for the MLB Draft? 

JH: Don’t play for anybody outside the lines, play for what is says on the front of your jersey, play for your team.  Play with energy and play to win because that is what matters most.  If you do that, everything else will take care of itself. 


PG: You are playing collegiately at Wake Forest, why did you choose the Demon Deacons? 

JH: Honestly it came down to Coach Walter. He is an upstanding guy and cares about his players, so I knew Wake was the place for me.  After that, it was our amazing pitching lab, which is second-to-none when it comes to pitching development. Lastly, living close to campus my whole life, I got to know the guys on the team and got to learn the culture, which I love. 


PG: What has been the best part of your first fall at WFU and how have you grown as an individual? 

JH: Definitely being around Coach Muscara and learning the ins and outs of the game and learning to play winning baseball.   


PG: What has been the biggest challenge in your career thus far and what could young players learn from your experience? 

JH: I had to really mature, physically and emotionally between my sophomore and junior year. I didn’t have the sophomore year that I wanted to and faced a lot of adversity during that season.  I had the goals of being a PG All-American, playing for Team USA again and being invited to the East Coast Pro Showcase. But I needed to gain weight, needed to get stronger and some people were doubting that I could duplicate the success I had at a younger age. So, it was the first time in my career I had to confront some doubt and push through.  I dedicated myself to a better nutritional diet and a more rigorous strength and conditioning program and got the results I was looking for.
 

PG: Left-handed pitchers are notorious for being quirky and very routine oriented. Do you have a go-to pre-game meal, or do you have any interesting superstitions you would be willing to share? 

JH: My pre-game meal is important to me, and I have to have a good steak. I like a nice filet and like it cooked medium-rare. Most of the time my mother will fix it for me or if we are on the road, we’ll find a good steakhouse.  I don’t have any superstitions, but I always make sure to pray before the game. I like to do my prayer as we have the National Anthem, it gives me that nice quiet moment right before the first pitch. 


PG: Lastly, now that you have had a vast array of baseball experiences, what do you know now that you wish you knew back when you first started playing at a high level.  

JH: You can do anything you set your mind to! I never thought I would be in the position that I am in today but thanks to the support I’ve had from my family I have made a lot of progress. You control your mind and your body and you can literally do anything if you dedicate yourself to it. 


We hope you enjoyed this episode of the PG Path and getting to know Josh Hartle a little better.  Hopefully you were able to gain some valuable insight and perspective from our conversation. Be on the lookout for the next installment of the PG Path coming soon! -Craig Cozart          
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