Detroit Tigers Pitcher Casey Mize Named Golfer of the Week: Talking Swings, Clubhouse Rivalries, and Pitching Parallels
Balancing the mental grind of Major League Baseball with recreational sports takes focus and discipline. On this week’s edition of the Detroit Tiger Golfer of the Week on Lesson on Golf, host Jeff Lesson caught up with Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher Casey Mize at Comerica Park to discuss his past golf background, clubhouse smack talk, and the mechanical and mental parallels between executing on the mound and swinging on the tee box.
Stepping Away and Planning the Return to the Fairways
While many professional baseball players frequently pack clubs on road trips, Mize’s time on the course took an unexpected hiatus due to injury rehab and training demands:
Early Golf Days: Picked up the game around 2018 after being drafted, playing rounds with teammates and friends through the 2019 season.
Rehab Prioritization: Sidelined from golf following back issues to protect his pitching health and mechanics.
Future Return: Intends to ease back into golf to join his teammates on road trip rounds, either during future off-seasons or following his baseball career.
Clubhouse Debates: Who Is the Best Golfer on the Tigers?
Clubhouse banter is never short on competitive claims, especially when comparing golf handicaps among teammates:
Spencer Torkelson ("Tork"): Widely regarded across the clubhouse and by staff as possessing one of the team's most powerful, natural swings.
Tarik Skubal: A frequent player on road trips who vouches for Torkelson’s power off the tee.
Parker Meadows: Known for an athletic left-handed swing with claims of taking down top team competitors.
Will Vest: A vocal competitor on the pitching staff who frequently stakes his claim as the best golfer on the roster.
"I would guess Tork. Tarik actually said Tork can really swing it well,"
Mize said regarding the team's ongoing debate.
"And Vestie says he's the best at everything. I wouldn't believe a word that he says!"
The Mental Parallels: Pitching Mound to the Tee Box
Despite stepping away from active play, Mize recognizes fundamental overlaps between golf course management and pitching to big-league hitters:
Isolating Individual Shots: Treating every golf swing like an individual pitch—resetting completely before stepping into the box or onto the rubber.
Preventing Compounding Mistakes: Avoiding the temptation to let one errant shot or missed pitch bleed into subsequent executions.
Routine and Refocus: Finding a consistent pre-shot or pre-pitch rhythm to lock in visual targets and center breathing under pressure.
"If I were to compare it to pitching, I would say each individual shot is its own thing. That's kind of how pitching is as well—we get to reset and regroup, and you try not to let one carry into the other,"
Mize explained.
"You kind of have to separate the two, but also know that they feed off each other. If you can refocus and recenter before every shot like I do before every pitch, that's probably good for you."
Lesson on Golf is hosted by Jeff Lesson and produced by Make The Turn, the team behind Metro Detroit Golfers, one of the largest golf communities in Michigan.
The show highlights courses, destinations, and golf experiences across the state.
👉 Explore more episodes on the Metro Detroit Golfers YouTube channel.
Comments