Michael Stefanic Recalls Fond Memories Of Rocket City 

Michael Stefanic’s unlikely path to the big leagues is an incredible tale. Born in Bosie, Idaho, Stefanic attended NAIA Westmont College in California. After a stellar career there, he was signed by the Angels as an undrafted free agent.

From there, he just kept hitting, and hitting, and hitting some more. After the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, he found a full-time job and took his mind off baseball for a little bit. When Stefanic returned to the diamond, he joined the Trash Pandas for their inaugural season.

His time in Rocket City was brief, as he continued the hitting barrage he started before the pandemic. That led him to Triple-A Salt Lake, and eventually a call up to the Angels last July, where he became the 12^th former Trash Pandas player to make his MLB debut.

We caught up with Stefanic for a Q&A during Angels Spring Training in Tempe, Arizona. There, he talked about the journey to the big leagues, lessons learned from his time with the Trash Pandas, facing one of the game’s greats, and the first time he walked into Toyota Field.

Q: What did you do to fill your time when you weren’t playing in 2020?
A: I was working full time as a marketing associate for a company based out of Santa Barbara. I didn’t do a lot of baseball activities. I played a lot of golf, tried to keep my mental health up. I started grinding toward the 2021 season in November 2020. I put on about 15-20 pounds of muscle that offseason and really wanted to show that I could be more than what I was in High-A. It worked out and I made it to the show but I’m hungry again to prove that I belong up there.

Q: Had you ever been to Alabama before joining the Trash Pandas? What were your impressions of the area?
A: The South is a much different place from Idaho where I grew up. It was a big culture shock. I was the first player to get to the ballpark. I drove out myself from spring training and I was the first player. I showed up after a day and a half and everyone there was shocked to see me. They showed me around. I like to say I was the first player ever to step foot in Toyota Field.

Q: You were only with the Trash Pandas for about a month. What are memories stand out from your time at Double-A in 2021?
A: The biggest one was Opening Night at Toyota Field. I’ve never been more nervous for a Minor League Baseball game than Opening Night with the Trash Pandas. Being in that brand new ballpark with thousands of screaming fans who are truly passionate about the game was something to behold. Wearing the gold uniforms the first night was unbelievable and a memory that I’ll never forget.

Q: What was it like after a year off to finally get to play and be in that atmosphere in the Rocket City?

A: It was really nerve racking. Just because there was so much hype and excitement around the ballclub. I was hungry to prove myself and prove that I belonged at the Double-A level and ultimately wanted to prove that I could play in the big leagues. It was a heck of a ride with the Trash Pandas. Everybody was so excited to be there. Coming from the lower levels and then going to this spanking new facility that was about as good as it gets for Double-A. I loved being with those guys.

Q: What is a piece of advice you got during your time with the Trash Pandas that you took with you as you moved forward in your career?
A: I think the biggest piece of advice I got was from Jay Bell, the manager. He told me when you get called up, don’t try to be anybody but yourself. A lot of times, guys go up and try to be a hero and hit home runs and do things that are outside themselves. That was something I tried to stick to the rest of the way. Just being the player that I am and understanding that I’m up there for a reason. And it’s because of who I am. Not because of who I think I can be or a player I think I should be, but who I am right then. That’s something that really stuck with me from that time.

Q: Take me through the moment you got the call to the big leagues for the first time.

A: It’s actually a great story. We were in Tacoma playing the Rainiers. I got a call into the office about 30 minutes before game time. The Triple-A coaches were all in there were looking serious. They asked me if I knew why I was there, acting like I was in trouble. I knew I didn’t do anything wrong. Then I asked what was going on and they broke down laughing, gave me a hug, and told me I was going to the big leagues. It was a truly special moment.

MIKEY BARRELS! First career hit for Michael Stefanic! pic.twitter.com/hRx3zcl4F0

— Rocket City Trash Pandas (@trashpandas) July 6, 2022

Q: What was your welcome to Major League Baseball moment?
A: I’ve got two. My first was my debut. I was supposed to take an 11:45 p.m. flight to Houston for a day game the next day. But there were maintenance issues, and I don’t think we left until 2:30 in the morning. I didn’t get to Houston until 10:30 in the morning for a 1 p.m. game. I went straight to the ballpark with no sleep and had to face Framber Valdez, an All-Star. I struck out three times that day. That was my welcome to the show moment. I was delirious from the plane ride and I didn’t play well.

The second one was when Phil Nevin called me in to his office and said I was going to hit leadoff against the Dodgers. Low and behold Clayton Kershaw was pitching. He’s a Hall of Famer and I grew up watching him. Leading off against that guy, I took a couple mental reps on MLB The Show the night before to get his hitch. Ultimately, he went perfect through eight innings but I got robbed a couple times. That was special to face a Hall of Famer and lead off against him.