“I got a random number call from Oklahoma and a super country accent,” Gozzo said. “He said, ‘Hey, Jake, we really like you and we’re going to watch you this season.’ And then literally two weeks into the season they offered me a scholarship. So I went on a visit and ended up committing.”
Far from home in Shawnee, Okla., Gozzo became a right fielder. At 6-foot-6 and athletic he knew the outfield increased his chances to play pro ball.
“I really figured out who I was out there because they run it like a pro program.” he said. “If you want to get better, you can get better The cages are open 24 hours. It’s a really great place to develop, great coaching staff, loving, all of the above.”
As a senior, Gozzo led his conference with 20 home runs and batted .333. On draft day, the California Angels called him during in the 10th round. But he didn’t get drafted.
“The draft was over, and I thought my career was over,” he said. “So I went down to Dallas and got a sales job.”
But before his first day at work, he got a call from the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League. He signed a short-term contract in hopes of earning a full-time one.
“They gave me six at-bats and then they released me,” he said. “So I was like, ‘All right, taking the sales job.’”
But first he chose to visit his sister, Morgan McSweeney, in Arizona. She took her younger brother to the Ebb and Flow Coffee Co. just off the freeway in the Verrado neighborhood of Buckeye with a plan.
“She said, ‘Dude, why don’t you just try a different position. You’re physical. You have good arm. Why don’t you just try and pitch,’” he recalled.
Gozzo told her she was crazy, but two hours later she won. Gozzo didn’t start the job to in Dallas. He started becoming a pitcher and doing communication and marketing work for his brother-in-law Jordan McSweeney’s fledgling physical therapy company.
“My sister is awesome,” he said. “We’ve always have had such a good relationship, and I’ve always respected her so much. She’s just a little bit more wiser than me, and I was like, ‘You know what: I’m gonna believe you.’”
What was next?
“We got my body into pitching shape,” Gozzo said. “I needed to get more limber, put on some more lean mass. Then I started throwing in December of 2019.”
And here’s where the Reds come in. Scott Schebler, who was a Reds outfielder at the time, was one of Jordan’s clients. During his third bullpen session at Mountain View High School in Phoenix, Schebler brought along former Dragons pitching coach Derrin Ebert. He saw Gozzo throwing fastballs at 95 mph and sent the video to Shawn Pender, the Reds’ vice president of player development.
“They invited me into the complex the next week, and I threw a bullpen there,” Gozzo said. “Then they offered me a contract.”
The contract signing wasn’t the surreal moment in Gozzo’s journey. That happened the first time he consistently threw 95 mph before the Reds knew who he was.
“Honestly, I knew I was going to get signed,” he said. “It just made sense. especially with (former Reds director of pitching) Kyle Boddy. He took chances on guys like that. And honestly, I owe a lot to Kyle, because if Kyle wasn’t around, I don’t know if they would have taken a chance on a guy like that.”
Gozzo had to wait a year to begin his on-the-job training because of the COVID pandemic. In 2021, he pitched three times for the rookie team in the Arizona Complex League and in 28 games for the Low-A Daytona Tortugas. He was in Dayton all last year and had a 3.95 ERA in 25 relief appearances. This year Gozzo added a hard slider to his mid-90s fastball and changeup and has been dominant in 28 innings across 19 appearances. His ERA is 0.96 with 30 strikeouts and five saves.
“I love the bullpen,” he said. “You get an adrenaline rush. It’s tight parts of the game when I honestly want the ball.”
Gozzo admits it took a little time to develop that mindset, which he believes is contributing to his success.
“I’ve actually started to find some love for it,” he said. “I used to hate pitchers, I used to talk bad on pitchers and now I’m a pitcher. Now I hate hitters. It took me a while to get that full-on convinced mindset.”
Gozzo’s late-game mindset is evident to his teammates. Chase Petty, who started Wednesday’s 1-0 victory that Gozzo finished, admires Gozzo’s daily work ethic and desire.
“His stuff is so good, and him coming out of the pen he lives for that,” Petty said. “He loves having the pressure on him, and he dominates every time.”
Gozzo is 26 but he knows he has to be patient on his push to make the big club because his development requires more learning than the players who are doing what they’ve done since little league.
“Every day I think about it because if you don’t, then what are you doing here?” he said. “I’m not wasting my time. I’m not wasting the Reds’ time. I’m going to get there. It’s just a matter of when.”
His sister would agree.
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