Former MLB slugger Joey Gallo is trying to reinvent himself… by pitching.
The ex-Yankee outfielder is charting a new course in his baseball career by transitioning to a pitcher, and on Friday, Gallo, 31, was seen in a video of his first bullpen session, showcasing his pitching mechanics and signaling his commitment to actually making this transformation legitimate.
“First bullpen dropped,” he wrote in a caption above the video.
Gallo’s decision follows his release from the White Sox — at his request — in March after a challenging spring training where he managed only two hits in 20 at-bats.
Gallo then announced that he would attempt to pitch professionally, which was obviously a surprise.
“It’s been fun outfield,” he posted then, later adding, “Just to be clear, I will be pitching.”
And true to his word, he was dead serious.
Gallo won two Gold Gloves in 2020 and 2021 and was a two-time All-Star in 2019 and 2021 at his MLB peak.
The former outfielder, who started his career with the Rangers in 2015, was traded in 2021 to the Yankees, where he played parts of two disappointing seasons before being shipped to the Dodgers.
Gallo bounced around to the Twins and Nationals before landing with the White Sox this past winter.
Gallo, a career .194 hitter, was known for his power hitting and had two seasons where he slugged 40 or more home runs (2017-18) with another at 38 in 2021.
It’s unknown what will become of the pitching experiment that Gallo is taking on, but undoubtedly, he wants to continue playing baseball.
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