From Quebec to small town Missouri: Red Sox prospect Nathan Landry is ready for what’s next

Revue de presse

Andrew Parker, site Internet Beyond the Monster, le 14 février 2023

A quick Google search will tell you that ice hockey is the most popular sport in Quebec. Another Google search will tell you that soccer comes in as the second most popular, followed by golf and Canadian football.

Zero mention of baseball in that search.

Nathan Landry defied the odds of growing up in Quebec and picked baseball. There have only been 17 guys that have played in the MLB that were born in Quebec. Landry wants to make that number 18. (une petite recherche supplémentaire montrerait qu'il y en a plutôt 37)

“I played hockey my whole life, it was my first sport. I didn’t start playing baseball until I was 11 years old. I started really late. I stopped playing hockey in my last year of high school because I had to make a decision on which sport to play. I still love hockey but glad I picked baseball.”

Picking baseball was one thing, but how does a guy from Quebec end up in Park Hills, Missouri?

“It was crazy, after three years of travel ball before moving to JUCO, it was mostly online scouting. I played in a few tournaments and things went fast. I had a call with Coach Thompson, the recruiting coordinator at Mineral Area College. It was a quick process and I think it took three weeks of discussions about coming there and I am glad I took the opportunity.”

Park Hills, Missouri had a population of 8,701 as of the end of 2021. Mineral Area College had an enrollment of 2,640 students last fall. The town of Victoriaville, Landry’s hometown in the province of Quebec, has a population of over 45,000 people. On top of the bigger population, the majority of the town spoke French.

“My first language is French. My first month in the United States I spoke maybe four or five sentences in English. I was overmatched with the language, and it was a big thing for me to face when I arrived.”

“I think Park Hills was the perfect fit for me to start my journey. I got into a small town and got to know everyone at school, and it was way easier to face that cultural shock I had to deal with.”

Adjusting to life in the United States was certainly a hurdle Landry had to face when he arrived at Mineral Area College. It was something head baseball coach, Blake Jones, noticed right away.

“Nathan was a very confident and prepared guy. The only obstacle I had when he first got here was understanding the French accent. It was very strong when he first came. His whole family speaks French, but he adjusted really quickly. Nathan outworked and out-prepared anyone else we have had here. “

Jones also added on Landry:

“I don’t have enough great things to say about Landry. We were lucky to get to spend two years with him. He still reaches out often about players we might want to look at. He will always have a home at Mineral Area College.”

Landry left his mark on the coaching staff for his work ethic upon his arrival and the results showed up on the field as well. He led his team in virtually every stat category during the COVID shortened 2020 season. Both seasons at MAC helped bridge the gap to his next stop at the University of Missouri. Jones recalled when Mizzou first started showing interest.

“It was during the spring of his freshman year. Nathan’s velocity jumped fairly quick, and he started getting a ton of interest really quickly. He was a great student in the classroom as well which helped.”

Thanks to the velocity jump and numbers Landry posted at MAC, a transition to D1 college baseball became a reality as he officially signed to play baseball at Mizzou in November of 2020.

Landry recalls how that exact transition went on joining Mizzou, and even the impact the late pitching coach Brian DeLunas had on him in their brief time together:

“Transition went great to Mizzou; I had two years here in the US to figure things out and who I was. I took that as an opportunity to keep going. Coach DeLunas had a big impact on me, and I only got to spend a semester with him. It was crazy seeing the level of professionalism from him. It was so nice to have him there to help me grow as a player and person. I have so much respect for everything he taught me. I can see it right now in Florida with the Red Sox. The mentality of attacking the zone and with the first pitch strike being so important.”

Mizzou has produced quite a few MLB pitchers in the last decade, and Landry noted that Tampa Bay Rays Pete Fairbanks stopped by campus to show pitchers his routine and how a pro prepares for his outings. After picking up some things early on from DeLunas, taking in a few tips from Fairbanks, and many other things from his time at MAC, Landry was drafted in the 15th round of the 2022 MLB draft.

“In Quebec it was big because there were three guys going in that draft so there was big excitement for the province during my draft year. I was not expecting anything at all really, just had the mindset that if it’s going to happen it will happen. I received a call at the beginning of the 15th round and I knew Boston drafted late and I had a lot of conversations with a scout from them. Boston and Houston were the two teams showing a ton of interest, I had more calls with them leading up to the draft.”

Landry is about to enter his first full season in the Red Sox minor league system. He appeared in two games last season for the FCL Red Sox after being drafted. SoxProspects has him projected to start the year in the FCL bullpen.

“I think the keyword for me is opportunity, and I got that with a great organization with the Red Sox. The first baseball stadium I ever visited was Fenway. It was my last year of high school. You can feel the history once you get in there. I fell in love with the stadium once I walked in the place.”

When asked about what helped him get to where he is today with the Red Sox? Landry had a unique and humbling answer:

“My first outing at MAC was a crazy story. It was a crazy weekend; we were playing an out of conference game against a great opponent and it was my first start. I gave up a walk off grand slam and I think that moment made me who I am. It made me more competitive and to take things one game at a time.”

Revue de presse publiée par Jacques Lanciault