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An absolute love for the sport motivates Cobb Hightower to keep growing in the game of baseball.
San Diego Padres' infielder Cobb Hightower is living his dream.
Since he first started playing travel ball as a boy, he had dreamt of a life in professional baseball.
It is happening. Hightower is presently in his first year in the minors, and the 20-year-old is loving every moment of it. "It has been awesome. It has been a blessing. Super grateful to have the opportunity to come out here every day and play the game that I love," Hightower tells EVT. Smiling ear to ear, there is no doubt that he means every word of it.
The shortstop is not blessed with tremendous size, but he makes the most of his body when he plays the game. Hightower is a plus defender, though most pundits currently rate him as average. He gets great jumps on the ball and possesses a plus arm. His speed is above average as well, but it's his moxie level that takes his game to a new degree. Cobb Hightower is in the right place at the right time on the field. For a defender, that ability is priceless.
This type of recognition did not come easily. Hightower works very hard for all he has achieved. "I take a lot of pride in my defense. I am out there every single day doing glove work and stuff like that. Playing shortstop at this level is super challenging. It's hard," Hightower explains. His relentless effort on the field is paying dividends early in his career, as he has only made four errors in 256 innings for the Storm. "I just go out there and work on my craft before a game. Getting prepared is definitely important."
At his early age, Hightower is not complacent. Perhaps that is why the Padres surprised some and selected him in the 3rd-round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of a high school in North Carolina. His game is improving daily, and most feel the young infielder is just scratching the surface of his ability.
The Padres made contact with Hightower after a high school tournament in the Fall before the draft. It was in Jupiter, Florida, and it was a surreal moment for the young baseball player. "The Padres were the first team I ever talked to. It meant a lot," Hightower said. His dreams of a baseball career were a possibility, and the Padres were the first franchise to show interest. That meant a lot to the ball player. San Diego made a great first impression. "The coaching staff and everyone that I talked to were awesome guys."
Hightower committed to UNC, and for a teenager from North Carolina, that was a dream in itself. The choice to start his professional career was not easy. He spoke to his family and confided in them. "It was definitely a hard choice. My family and I talked it over multiple times as we tried to figure out what was best for me and my future," Hightower said. In the end, the life of a pro baseball player was too much to turn down. Cobb Hightower wanted to start his quest now. "I figured that coming out here and playing at the highest level was the best choice for me."
With a subtle Southern twang in his voice, Hightower exclaimed how pleased he was to be in Lake Elsinore and the California League. "I am super blessed and grateful," Hightower said with a smile. There is a long road ahead to reach his ultimate goal, but Hightower is content on learning the game and improving. He is well aware that he cannot rush things.
A balky hamstring limited him in the spring, and Hightower started the season in the ACL (Arizona Complex League). When asked if the start in Arizona was frustrating, the young baseball player put it all into perspective. "To an extent, yes (frustrated), but I had some health issues. I pulled my hamstring and was mainly rehabbing that. It felt good to go out there and get my feet wet before I headed here and got some reps," Hightower explains to EVT.
The hamstring is perfect now, as Hightower said, there is no issue at all. His play on the field shows that fact. When asked about his approach at the plate, the right-handed hitter admitted a few things. I am an aggressive hitter. I like to get up there and hit early in the count," Hightower said. His hit tool is arguably his best asset as Cobb Hightower barrels up baseballs with ease and uses all fields with his approach. "When I am in the box, I am looking to hit and not draw a walk. Early in the count, I am looking for something that I can do damage with."
Despite the fact that he calls himself an aggressive hitter, Hightower is showing a plus eye at the plate. He has walked 26 times in 147 at-bats and is walking more than he is striking out (23 times). Numbers like that show an impressive early recognition of the strike zone. First-year players do not typically show that type of patience. "Ever since I got to the pro level, I have tried my best (to swing at strikes). Obviously, these guys are a lot better. There are really good arms here. I just try to dumb it down to the best of my ability. Try not to think too much. Just go up there and do what I have done my whole life," Hightower said.
Cobb Hightower's dad played baseball in college. He was a second baseman at Catawaba College in North Carolina, and the apple does not fall far from the tree. A lot of the passion the young Hightower gets comes from his dad. His father pushed him early on, and Cobb Hightower is appreciative of that fact. "When I was younger, he was harder on me. That is what pushed me to be here right now. Right now, we have more of a joking relationship and good chemistry. Right now, it's perfect (their relationship). He knows what I am capable of. He knows my swing."
In discussing the difficulty of baseball and how he can improve, Hightower is upfront. "I would probably say the mental side. The game is a game of failure," Hightower explains. Despite the fact that you fail in the game so often, Hightower is putting it into perspective to get through the grind. "Now that I am playing a 120-130 game season, I get to play baseball every day. If you have a rough night, for example, you wipe it clean within 24 hours, and you are ready to roll again." It takes veteran players years to figure that out. Kudos to him for rationalizing defeat.
The long season in the minors is a grind. With travel time and long bus rides, it can cripple some young players. But not this infielder, who has a passion for the game that is evident. "I love it so much. It is my job, and I enjoy coming out here every single day," Hightower explains to EVT. His motivation stems from the fact that he genuinely loves being at the ballpark each day. "I have always wanted to be in this position. Now that I am here, I am trying to take full advantage of it and grow every day here."
His goals for the remainder of the season are clear, and they revolve around preparation and fine-tuning his mental edge. "My goal is to stay as consistent as possible. Just go out there and try to do the same thing every day. Just keep working on the mental side and being in a good mood. Smile on my face and rolling out there every day and ready to play ball," Hightower explains. The young player anticipates his long road and is ready for the travel. It is part of the game, and he knows that there is always room to be better. To Cobb Hightower, the getting better part of the game is not work, it's fun.