Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman has plenty of tools on the mound, like a heater up in the mid-90s, and movement on his throws that forces his opponents into plenty of ground outs.
But Stroman takes the mental aspects of pitching much more seriously than any of that.
The newest Mets starter recently revealed that before each start, he takes a few moments to read a book titled, "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success." He referred to it as his "Bible," even.
"It settles me, calms me, gets me where I need to be," Stroman said to Newsday. "It goes with me everywhere."
A former teammate from Duke University, Mike Seander, who went on to pursue a career as a rapper, gave Stroman his introduction to the book. The self-help publication offers readers steps to add spirituality in their lives doing things such as meditating, acceptance of people, among other things.
Stroman leads the Mets on Friday in a battle against their NL East rival, the Nationals. While Stroman didn't get the decision in the outing, the Mets won Stroman's first start for the team on Aug. 3 against the Pirates, and on Friday he'll make his Citi Field debut. It's a big moment for Stroman and the team, thanks to their recent surge up the standings, but you can bet Stroman's mindset will be the same as any other outing.
"If I can get my mind and my mindset to the point where nothing fazes me, I can keep it super-calm in rough times, I know I can be super-elite out on the mound," Stroman said.