How Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black influenced the signing of Denver native Ty Blach

As a youngster, Ty Blach grew up in Denver with dreams of being a Major League pitcher. After a circuitous route that began with him being drafted into pro baseball 10 years ago, Blach has come full circle and is now living out that dream as a member of the Colorado Rockies.

“It’s just a huge blessing,” Blach told Rox Pile in an exclusive conversation before the team’s series finale Wednesday afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“It’s one of those things that you dream about as a kid and I’m one of the lucky few that’s never had to change my dreams. So just being able to live that out and just enjoying every moment of it.”

The lefthander was a fifth-round draft choice of San Francisco in 2012. After making his Major League debut with the Giants in September 2016, he went on to appear in 81 games over the 2017 and 2018 seasons, logging 280 1/3 innings on the mound while compiling a 14-19 mark in those two years with a 4.56 ERA, a 4.18 FIP, and an ERA+ of 89.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Ty Blach has had to rebound from Tommy John surgery.

In 2019, current Colorado Rockies pitcher Ty Blach joined the Baltimore Orioles organization before his career was put on hiatus when he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020.

Following the surgery, Blach made 15 starts in 16 appearances across three different levels on the Orioles’ farm system a year ago before electing free agency last November.

While considering options for a possible future in the Majors, Blach received a phone call from Colorado manager Bud Black.

“We had never met before, but when I was looking at signing here, he called me and just kind of informed me about the organization,” Blach said.

“We had a really good conversation about pitching at altitude, pitching at Coors Field, and how he approaches handling a pitching staff and different games that we had faced each other, things like that.”

Black, a former left-handed pitcher in the majors himself, indicated that he thought the graduate of Denver’s Regis Jesuit High School could be a good addition to the Rockies’ pitching staff.

“He (Black) made it very clear that he thought I fit well with our system,” Blach said. “It made me feel really comfortable about how to go about pitching here and going into spring training, feeling confident that I had a good opportunity.”

The Rox signed Blach to a minor league contract last December and invited him to spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The 31-year-old, who played collegiately at Creighton University in Nebraska, took over from there.

After a solid spring training and initial assignment to the Albuquerque Isotopes on March 13, Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate, Blach’s contract was purchased by the Rockies as Spring Training ended and he was on the team’s Opening Day roster for 2022.

Once he occupied a spot on the roster, he wasted no time making an immediate impact.

In his first appearance as a Rockie—and first Major League outing since 2019— he hurled four scoreless innings on April 10 in Colorado’s 9-4 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His next time out on April 15, he worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings and picked up his first win in the Majors since 2019 in a 6-5 victory against the Chicago Cubs.

With the save-win combination, Blach joined José Jiménez in 2000 as the only Rockies in franchise history to collect a save in a first appearance and a win in a second appearance with the team.

Through three relief outings this season, Blach has a 1.29 ERA in 6 2/3 innings having allowed four hits with five strikeouts.

“It just comes down to going out and executing pitches and then letting the results kind of speak for themselves, not trying to control too much,” he said.

“Just go out there, just enjoy being with the guys, and try to help the team win some ballgames.”

Yes. Ty Blach is living his dream: Pitching for his hometown Colorado Rockies.