March 2, 2022

“What’s Next” for Miller?

By Ryan Sweeney

Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 230 pounds, Jay Miller will catch people’s eye at a workout. Add in a fastball sitting 89-91 mph with arm-side run, a slurvy-style curveball, and a devastating change-up, he also has the skill-set to compliment.

Like many high school Canadians, Miller (Corner Brook, Nfld.) missed a lot of opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading up to the 2021 season, Miller had never pitched in the USA until the spring of his senior year. His inexperience mattered little however, as he dominated with the Dirtbags Baseball Club, earning a scholarship to attend University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where he will suit up in the Spartan colors in the fall of 2022.

Miller’s limited time in the U.S. did not deter the staff from taking a chance on the big right-hander from the Rock, according to UNCG coach Billy Godwin,

“The first time I saw Jay was in a June camp at UNCG,” Godwin said. “I loved his size, body control and arm action. I met with him a few days later on campus and was blown away by his maturity and his knowledge of pitching. We built a relationship with him and watched him pitch over the summer. I believe the sky is the limit for Jay Miller at UNCG.”

Though Miller has a D-I college commitment, a huge accomplishment for a kid from small-town Newfoundland (which he is very proud of), stepping on campus in September is a long way off for an 18-year old. After signing his letter of intent and finishing up the season, he wondered “What’s next?”.

First, Miller decided to returned to Newfoundland to train out of Premier Sports Academy. Under the guidance of pitching coach, Noah Anderson, and strength coach, Dan Hearn, Miller set his sights on taking his game to the next level.

Over the course of four months, with the support of his trainers, Miller implemented a rigorous off-season plan, one befitting a collegiate or pro athlete: two-a-day training sessions five to six times a week; structured throwing and lifting programs; a carefully monitored diet, and many forms of technology to monitor his performance, fatigue, recovery and readiness. When asked what his off-season goals were, “more athleticism, more lean muscle mass, more consistent fastball velocity, and a better curveball”.

Assessing those goals, Miller added 15 pounds of muscle to his frame while lowering his overall body weight, he added three mph to his average fastball velocity, and has developed his curveball to the point that it is a quality third option.

If you ask fellow Corner Brook Baron and Wake Forest pitching alum, Larry Colbourne what’s next for Miller, he’s not shy about what he sees as a possibility.

“The selfish part of me would love to see him play a couple of years here at UNCG for Coach Godwin, that way my wife Beverly and I can watch him carve up D-I college hitters on weekends...”

Colbourne, now a resident of Carolina, since retiring from his competitive playing stint at Wake Forest, has remained close to the high-level ball scene, and sees qualities that may take Miller in another direction.

“Having worked closely with a former first-rounder and other high round pitchers, part of me knows how good Jay is and that he’s flying under the radar... Jay has a lot of the same distinguishing qualities that made those guys highly coveted draft prospects.” Colbourne said. “Though his fastball doesn’t jump out at you, he sits effortlessly at 89-91 with a very heavy ball, and he still has a lot of room for growth ... He has tremendous arm-side run, and his change-up is already a plus-pitch according to scouts I’ve spoken with ... Not to mention, he is a strike-throwing machine ... I won’t be surprised if he’s selected in the draft”.

In this writer’s opinion, there have been more than a few skilled Newfoundlanders who made it to college, Team Canada and some levels of pro ball, but none have had Miller’s well-rounded makeup. At 18, he has matured quickly; he has the physicality, work ethic and discipline of a professional athlete, and he is unquestionably committed to his development.

More importantly, he understands how to pitch and compete. When I asked him about his mind set on the mound, he said that all he thinks about is “dominating” with every pitch. With those qualities, if he pitches the way he is capable of this spring, I would be surprised if he is on a college campus this fall.

On March 3, Miller will go south once again, this time playing for Pro5 Academy in North Carolina. Defending Champions, Pro5 competes in the newly formed National Academies Association League, with teams across the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida; an area many consider to be the baseball Mecca in the U.S.

In 2021 and now 2022, the best Canadian talent flocks south of the border to compete in this prestigious league - second-round pick of the Mets, Calvin Ziegler (TNXL), and fifth-round choice of the Texas Rangers, Mitch Bratt (Georgia Premier) to name a few. Feeling “ready to compete” this spring, Miller looks forward to the opportunity to be the next Canadian to try and make a name for himself.

Whether he attends college or is drafted and decides to play college or pro ball is of little concern to Miller because his goal will not change.

“My goal for baseball is to reach my maximum ability and inspire others from my community to do the same,” Miller said. “Ultimately, I want to be a pro and be able to seriously compete at that level. If it happens now or after attending college, it doesn’t matter, I’m going to put in the work to make it happen one way or another”.