Worcester manager Chad Tracy has built a reputation for delivering the call every player dreams of telling top Red Sox prospects they’re headed to the big leagues.
But beyond the organization’s headliners, Tracy also gets the chance to share that moment with players who’ve battled adversity throughout their careers, the ones who had to grind for every opportunity, and tell them they’ve finally made it.
Red Sox minor league pitcher Tyler Uberstine was the latest player to receive the call from Tracy that he was headed to Boston.
Tracy had hoped to make the moment special, but plans changed quickly when the WooSox were rained out in St. Paul, Minnesota on Thursday. With the home opener looming, Uberstine needed to get to Boston in a hurry.
“We had some bad weather in St. Paul and games got canceled, so the schedule got thrown off,” Uberstine said. “I was supposed to throw, but then Dan (DeLucia) and Jun (Noah Junis) told me I had a schedule change.”
Uberstine found it unusual that both the WooSox pitching coach and bullpen coach wanted to speak with him at the same time. The three walked into Tracy’s office, and the rest was history.
“I usually try to make this super special, but you’ve got a flight in two hours, you’re going to the big leagues,” Tracy told him.
The 26-year-old admitted the moment was overwhelming.
“I’m not a very emotional person, but it was super exciting,” Uberstine said.
After leaving Tracy’s office, Uberstine made his first call to his father, who assumed it was about unfinished taxes.
“My dad was on me all week about finishing my taxes,” Uberstine said. “So I called him and said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to be able to finish that tonight.’”
His father wasn’t pleased at first, reminding him they needed to be done — until Uberstine shared the real reason.
“You need to hop on a flight to Boston,” he told him.
After the call with his father, Uberstine reached out to his mother and girlfriend to share the news.
Uberstine’s path to the big leagues is anything but typical.
He was never a top prospect in the Red Sox system, and out of high school, he wasn’t even recruited by colleges. Determined to keep his dream alive, he set his sights on the University of Southern California, taking part in midnight throwing sessions in parking lots in an effort to prepare for tryouts and earn a spot.
He instead attended Northwestern University, where he posted a 4.82 ERA across 61 2/3 innings in 13 outings from 2020–21.
Boston selected the right-hander in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and signed him for $97,500. He began his professional career shortly after in the Florida Complex League, where he impressed in limited action, allowing just one run over 7 1/3 innings while striking out eight and issuing only one walk.
Uberstine opened the 2022 season at Low-A Salem and quickly impressed, earning a promotion to High-A Greenville by year’s end. In his first full professional season, he made 21 appearances, posting a 3.83 ERA over 91 2/3 innings with 101 strikeouts and 35 walks.
He entered 2023 with momentum and in the best shape of his career, but his progress was halted in his final spring outing when he felt discomfort in his arm. That led to Tommy John surgery in June, sidelining him until August 2024.
