Cubs reliever Ethan Roberts went from small town Tennessee to MLB
CHICAGO (BVM) – Chicago Cubs rookie relief pitcher Ethan Roberts has had quite the whirlwind month. After finding out he would make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster April 4, in an emotional moment that would go viral, Roberts would make his MLB debut April 9 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the team’s second game of the season. Aiming to keep a shutout intact with a 9-0 Cubs lead in the bottom of the ninth, the 24-year-old righthander would get out of the inning unscathed, giving up no hits as the Cubs easily held onto the win. The moment was the culmination of a long journey that started many miles away from Chicago and in a city of a much smaller scale.
Roberts grew up in Sparta, Tennessee, a small town with a population just under 5,000 people, and first got on the baseball radar as a middle schooler at White County Middle School. Even from his young age, he had the confidence that he could be a big leaguer according to Floyd.
“When he was in middle school and early on in high school he was able to blow the ball by a lot of people, especially in middle school he had a live arm,” Roberts’ middle school and high school baseball coach Shaun Floyd said. “I’ll never forget in seventh grade he came up to me and said, ‘Coach, one day I’m going to go to college and play baseball and then one day I’m going to play in the pros.’…His determination and his heart got him where he’s at.”
After playing well at the middle school level, Roberts advanced to White County High School where he established himself as one of the better pitchers and players in the state. He finished his Spartans career as an three time all-district player, including earning first team honors as a senior when he would also be placed on the all-state team after going 6-1 with a 1.30 ERA. In total, Roberts finished his White County career with a staggering 221 strikeouts in just 32 games.
“By his junior and senior year, it was pretty much just hand him the ball and let him do his thing,” Floyd said. “I remember sitting in the dugout just watching, becoming a fan of the game and just watching him throw because he commanded such a presence when he was out there. He’d go to work, he was just a bulldog, he’d get after it.”
After being named Perfect Game Southeast Region honorable mention following his final year at White County, Roberts would join Tennessee Tech just down the road for the 2015-16 season.
In three seasons with the Eagles, the pitcher became one of the best relievers in program history, twice breaking the single season saves record and breaking the program’s career saves record with 30. Overall, Roberts finished his career with a 13-6 record and 30 saves with a 2.93 ERA in 175 innings pitched compiling 245 strikeouts to just 53 walks while giving up only 13 home runs.
“If for some reason we were going to go down, we wanted him on the mound,” Tennessee Tech head baseball coach Matt Bragga said. “You always wanted him on the mound. Even if a guy got 24 straight outs and was throwing a perfect game and you can leave him in or put Ethan Roberts in, you’re always going to feel right going to Ethan.”
With his stellar Eagles career, it came as no surprise that the “reliable” Roberts was highly touted coming into the 2018 MLB Draft and he was selected with the No. 128 overall pick (Round 4, Pick 24) by the Chicago Cubs, becoming the highest-selected player in Eagles program history by round. Roberts was the headliner for what was a historic 2018 class for Tennessee Tech as a record eight players were selected in the draft.
“We were on the bus on the way home from our regional win in Oxford, Mississippi against Ole Miss when he got drafted and it was just jubilation,” Bragga said. “I felt it was kind of about right [he went first]. He was never the headliner so to say, but that’s what he deserved and he deserved to be the first taken from that team.”
This spring, after years in the minors which included delays due to the COVID-canceled 2020 season and the lockout-delayed 2022 MLB season, Roberts was ready to prove he had what it took to make it onto a major league roster. In five appearances and 5.1 innings pitched, Roberts was flawless as he finished spring training with one save in one opportunity and a hold while racking up seven strikeouts with only five hits and one walk. Roberts would surrender a .250 average and have a WHIP of 1.13 while throwing just 39 pitches. His success and his efficiency earned Roberts a coveted spot on the major league clubs Opening Day roster, leading to the special and unforgettable moment caught on camera.
“I was able to see [the video] and it’s so Ethan because he’s so passionate about this sport and his craft and his team and so the reaction is almost honestly what I would’ve expected from him,” Bragga said. “It’s just like it’s a dream come true and that’s how he responded there…it’s just who he is. He had a dream to do this and he let that show
“I think he’d tell you that he had a vision and drive to pitch in major league baseball since he was young and he was going to do anything in his power to make that happen. I think what you’re seeing now is a result of all that work he did.”
Indescribable! God is so good! https://t.co/qHbzqFCfPZ
— Ethan Roberts (@EthanXXVI) April 4, 2022
For his former prep coach, it was a special moment too. As the news made its way to the now retired high school manager while he was coaching his son’s little league game, he had to take a moment to appreciate what had just happened.
“I was at little league baseball practice and his dad texted me and told me he got the call and he made the opening day roster,” Floyd said. “I called the coaching staff around and I said we all just need to take a moment here to let it sink in and of course they were excited too. It gave me chills because I knew this was something all the way back in middle school he dreamed about.”
According to MLB.com, the only two other players in MLB history to come from Sparta, Tennessee are Lefty Stewart who played from 1921-35 and Tom Rogers who played from 1917-21 are the only Major Leaguers listed as being born in the small town. Following his debut, Roberts became the third and the first to make his debut in over 100 years. Even his coach, who coached over 20 years at the school, couldn’t remember more than one other MLB Draft pick who was at the school, former Spartan Scott Rogowski who was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2003 draft but never made it to the majors.
Floyd sees Roberts carrying over his success with the Cubs. With his passionate play and give it all attitude, Floyd predicts Cubs fans will enjoy the length of the pitcher’s tenure in the Windy City.
“He’s gritty, he’s going to go to work every single day and he’s going to give 110%,” Floyd said. “He’s going to do everything he can to be the best he can be and he’s going to put the work in. Fans are going to see a guy who works extremely hard and brings a lot of excitement to the game on the mound. When he’s done with it he’ll be a fan favorite if he isn’t already.”
Given his journey from small town Tennessee to the big lights of Chicago, Roberts will likely become a Cubs fan favorite if he keeps up his strong play.
Ethan Roberts, Ridiculous 84mph Slider. 😲
22 Inches of horizontal break. pic.twitter.com/wtU9gmjmFI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 12, 2022
