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In 2022, Strahm finds himself in Frisco, Texas, slugging it out in Double-A ball against some of baseball’s best prospects.
Kellen Strahm has seen the lavish side of sports.
He and former Sheldon High School football and baseball teammate Justin Herbert are both professional athletes, Strahm a minor leaguer in the Texas Rangers system and Herbert the star quarterback of the Los Angeles Chargers. The 2015 6A Oregon baseball state champions remain close, which inspired a road trip from Los Angeles to Eugene a couple of years ago to celebrate the end of Herbert’s rookie season.
But before they could hit the road, Herbert led Strahm and a few other friends on a detour.
First, they played 18 holes at Pebble Beach. Then, they headed over to Jim Nantz’s house and hit balls onto the broadcaster’s private backyard green. Strahm even has a video of Nantz calling one of his swings.
At least for Strahm, it was far from an ordinary day.
“Justin didn’t have to do that,” Strahm said. “That just shows you his character.”
Strahm’s professional experience has been quite different. Drafted in the fifth round out of San Jose State in 2019, Strahm had a standout debut in the Northwest League, batting .288 with five home runs, 28 RBIs and 13 stolen bases for Spokane. But when the pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season, Strahm found himself back in Eugene working for his dad’s building material distribution company. In 2021, an oblique injury slowed Strahm during spring training — then a torn labrum ended his season with Single-A Hickory after just 50 games.
“I really honestly haven’t played a ton of games,” Strahm said. “I think this season might be the most games I’ve played in a season. I think this is just the start of something good for me.”
In 2022, Strahm finds himself in Frisco, Texas, slugging it out in Double-A ball against some of baseball’s best prospects. At 25, he’s hitting .273, showing some pop with four home runs and largely succeeding despite being a rain-loving Eugene kid playing ball in 100 degrees with humidity.
It’s a grind, Strahm said. He loves the grind. And that’s where his and Herbert’s experiences begin to overlap again.
Seven years ago the two led Sheldon to a baseball title, Strahm as the first-team all-state outfielder and Herbert as the second-team all-state first baseman who moonlit as a long-inning reliever. “I definitely think he could have pitched in the pros,” Strahm said, but Herbert instead focused on football in college, which led to a standout career at Oregon and an NFL career that’s seen the former UO quarterback already earn offensive rookie of the year and Pro Bowl honors.
But you wouldn’t be able to tell much has changed when the minor leaguer and superstar meet up for workouts at Sheldon during the offseason.
“The athletic director gives us the key and just says to ‘Take care of it,” Strahm said. “We love the place. And just working out with Justin — he’s very strict. We’ll grind for a solid two-and-a-half hours.”
That grind is beginning to pay off. After taking some time to adjust to the Double-A level, Strahm feels like he’s found his footing. He’s not surprised anymore by pitchers with the guts to throw breaking balls behind in the count. He’s gotten over the fact that everyone in the lineup is talented. He knows there’s a thin line between the teammates he has in Frisco and the ones he hopes to have some day in the Major Leagues, and that hard work could very well be the separating factor.
“I love working and keeping my head down and working on things to get better,” Strahm said. “This is the real deal here. This is a good environment. I’m glad I’m here.”
Though, in a few weeks he really wouldn’t mind being in Hawaii. Strahm said Herbert and a few friends are heading to the islands, which nearly lined up with the time Strahm will get off for the all-star break.
“I really wouldn’t have minded playing some golf and hanging out over there, it just didn’t work,” Strahm said. Instead, he’ll likely stay in Frisco, where this week’s 100-degree heatwave is expected to cool down to a 99-degree heatwave.
That’s a whole different grind.
— Tyson Alger
@tysonalger
