Roles Reversed: Nick Paciorek's journey to the mound
This article appears in the June 2023 issue of Renegades Magazine. To read more features like this, click here! Hudson Valley Renegades RHP Nick Paciorek isn’t your typical bullpen pitcher in the South Atlantic League. The Sherman Oaks, CA native began his collegiate career at Northwestern University as a catcher,
This article appears in the June 2023 issue of Renegades Magazine. To read more features like this, click here!
Hudson Valley Renegades RHP Nick Paciorek isn’t your typical bullpen pitcher in the South Atlantic League. The Sherman Oaks, CA native began his collegiate career at Northwestern University as a catcher, and didn’t begin pitching full time until the end of his sophomore season.
“It was rough in the beginning,” Paciorek chuckled. “It’s not as easy as it seems but I feel like going from a catcher it’s easier because I saw that side of the game from behind the plate and I also know how hard hitting is, so that makes it easier as a pitcher.”
Paciorek wasn’t actively seeking to become a pitcher but stumbled upon it by chance. “I was warming up the catchers before a game one day and our pitching coach said, ‘Oh he’s pretty good let’s give you a bullpen.’” Paciorek stated. “So, I threw a bullpen, [and] was super wild, but I was throwing hard.” That bullpen session then led to a chance to pitch in a conference game after his team ran out of pitchers.
He remembers his first appearance vividly against Indiana University where he entered late in a game after an injury and his team needing just one out. “So, I’m in the bullpen and they call out, ‘Hey Paciorek you’re in the game,’” he said. “I throw all of my stuff off, rush out there … I think I hit two guys, walked a few but I was throwing hard, and they said, ‘I’ll think we’ll make you a pitcher.”’
The converted catcher ended up making three appearances and logged a pair of innings in 2018 for the Wildcats before pitching for the Portland Pickles that following summer in the West Coast League to fine-tune his throwing mechanics.
The right-handed pitcher shined in 2019 at Northwestern, striking out 44 batters in 26.2 innings while holding opponents to a .196 average. Those numbers caught the attention of the New York Yankees who selected the Paciorek in the seventh round of the 2019 First-Year Player draft. He was the first Northwestern player to be drafted in four years.
The newly-drafted Yankee made seven appearances for the FCL Yankees in 2019, where he sported a 2-0 record and a 2.57 ERA out of the bullpen.
Unfortunately, Paciorek suffered a setback in 2021 that required Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old is aiming to continue to grow on the mound and stay healthy this season after he made nine appearances in 2022 between the FCL Yankees and Single-A Tampa. Primarily throwing just a fastball-slider mix in college, Paciorek has started developing a splitter since joining the Yankees organization.
Finally healthy in 2023, Paciorek has made 16 appearances as of June 15, surpassing the 14 total appearances he had in 2021 and 2022 combined, and success has found him. The right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA and two saves across 18.1 innings. Paciorek is striking out an impressive 30% of the batters he has faced.
When asked if he’d ever throw the gear on in case the Renegades needed an emergency catcher, Paciorek laughed, “I don’t know about in a game, but in the bullpen I’m there.” In the meantime, he hopes to continue the climb the Minor League ladder and hope to one day pitch at Yankee Stadium to join the likes of Northwestern baseball greats such as Joe Girardi, J.A. Happ, and Mark Loretta.