March 27, 2023

By Michael J. Collins

Centennial Sports Journalism

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Growing up in a small town, Troy Watson was able to use his humble roots to find success.

The Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect’s entire family was born and raised in Gunter, Texas (north of Dallas) which has a population of 2,255.

That added pressure of being from a rural place helped develop the right-hander’s grounded way of life.

“In a small town you messed up, everybody knows about it. You do good, everybody knows about it,” Watson said before practice at the training facility. “I’m very fortunate to grow up in the little bitty town that I did.

“I knew everybody and everybody knew me. I could call anybody, we just had that relationship as a town.”

Although living with all eyes on you can be seen as negative, he excelled in athletics in a sports heavy town. Based on his surroundings, he pursued competition at a young age.

“My whole family grew up in Gunter, played sports in Gunter. My Dad graduated from Gunter High School,” Watson said. “I grew up in middle school watching my cousins play every sport that I did.

“So it was our family thing to do, to just play sports.”

Despite being drafted to the Blue Jays and playing professional baseball, the Texas native still remains lifelong friends with people he went to pre-kindergarten with.

Living confined to a neighborhood of athletes, Watson's first sports were basketball, football, and cross country track and field. He tried baseball later and was good almost immediately.

“I ended my junior year topping at like 84, and then I took two weeks off and I went and played for my summer team and I was 92,” Watson said. “I didn’t touch a baseball really at all for two weeks.

“So I did that, and that was my calling, I was like alright I guess it’s baseball.”

He’s progressing well, putting up a 2.79 earned run average with 39 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched at three different levels last year.

The bright lights of pro-ball may seem too shiny for some people to acclimate themselves. But the Northern Colorado product has a positive view on the situation, believing everyone should be treated the way you want to be treated.

“I don’t care if you’re from a little bitty town smaller than me, or New York City with tons of people. If you treat me with respect I’m going to treat you with respect.”

The right-hander brings the same respectful mentality to work everyday. Training in Dunedin at the Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex currently, he is reminded of how much he’s achieved.

“Coming to a big organization like this differs a lot from my hometown. The building here is twice the size as my high school was,” Watson said. “It’s pretty cool, honestly, because of how far I’ve come to where I started. I’m just very fortunate to still be here doing what I’m doing.”