Major League Baseball

Ben Verlander's 'Flippin' Bats' welcomes Orioles pitcher John Means

Updated Jun. 29, 2021 8:12 p.m. ET

The journey to the big leagues can come in many different shapes and sizes. That is certainly the case with John Means.

Means, a left-handed pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, joined Ben Verlander on the "Flippin' Bats" podcast to talk about the circuitous route he took to the majors, the ups and downs he endured along the way and the thrill he was able to experience in throwing a no-hitter this season.

Means said he was only 5-foot-4 when he entered high school in Gardner, Kansas, and was so unheralded as a prospect that he received no college scholarship offers. He did, however, get drafted in the 46th round by the Atlanta Braves, though Means said that was only because scouts flocked to his games to watch teammate — and future first-round pick — Bubba Starling.

"I was a big lefty throwing strikes," Means said. "[But] I was only throwing like 85, 86."

John Means on unlikely journey from junior college to throwing MLB no-hitter ' Flippin' Bats

John Means sits down with Ben Verlander and shares the story of his baseball journey from junior college to West Virginia to the minor leagues to tossing a no-hitter earlier this season.

Means went to junior college instead of signing with the Braves. From there, he went to West Virginia and was ultimately drafted by the Orioles in the 11th round out of college.

His journey continued through the minor leagues, and Means said he had trouble getting past the Double-A level. But eventually, the Orioles gave him a shot in the majors after Alex Cobb went down with an injury in 2018. Means made his debut against the Boston Red Sox and had a rough outing, allowing five runs in 3.1 innings.

"I got absolutely shelled, but I made my debut, and here we are," he said.

Means rarely gets shelled these days. He was an All-Star in 2019, and this season, he has a 2.28 ERA across 12 starts.

He also threw a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners on May 5, losing a perfect game in a most unusual way: A batter reached base after a third-strike pitch got away from the catcher. Means said that he didn't anticipate having a great outing that day when he was warming up in the bullpen.

"I honestly felt kind of sick before the game. I thought I was going to throw up for some reason," he said. "It happens to everybody. I felt it a little bit more that day. I remember sitting out in the bullpen before the catcher came out to warm me up, just sitting there thinking, like, 'I hope I get through five innings today. I really don't feel good.'

"I started warming up, and it started to get better, but the bullpen wasn't great. I was all over the place. Then I went out there, and from pitch one, I was locked in."

To hear more from Means, check out the full episode below.

Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.

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