Keep Showing Up: Robert Stock’s Journey to the Mets

Tonight’s starting pitcher for the New York Mets is Robert Stock.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to catch up with Robert at Citi Field. It was a meaningful full-circle moment because 10 years earlier, I had been his batboy while he was playing independent baseball in New Jersey.

When Robert played in my hometown in 2016, he carried an unmistakable confidence that he would one day step onto a Major League mound. He didn’t know when it would happen or which path would lead him there, but he believed it would happen.

That is one of the hardest parts of pursuing a big dream: You rarely know exactly how the journey will unfold.

Players working toward the Major Leagues don’t know which opportunity will change their careers. They don’t know how many setbacks, roster moves, injuries, long bus rides or difficult conversations they will face along the way. That uncertainty can take a tremendous mental toll.

Robert kept working through it. He relentlessly searched for ways to improve and earn another opportunity with an MLB organization. Eventually, that opportunity came. He has since spent parts of six seasons in the Major Leagues, and tonight, he will take the mound for the Mets at Citi Field.

Robert’s journey is a reminder that uncertainty does not mean your dream is over. Sometimes, it simply means the story is still being written.

There will be moments when you question the timing. There will be days when the next opportunity seems nowhere in sight. You may not know exactly how everything will work out, but you can control whether you continue preparing, improving and showing up.

Ten years ago, Robert Stock believed he belonged on a Major League mound. Tonight, he gets another opportunity to prove it.

Keep showing up. Your next opportunity may be closer than you think.