Whenever Colorado Rockies pitcher Ty Blach needs some encouragement on the mound, he looks at the Bible verse inscribed in his glove. The verse is Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Seeing it on his glove helps keep the 32-year-old Colorado native focused on the faith in God that has sustained him throughout his career.
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“It just kind of keeps you grounded in my faith and reminds me that, no matter what’s going on in the game, there’s a lot bigger purpose for why I’m here and this chance that God’s given me to go out and compete and play for Him,” Blach said of the verse in a recent interview with Call to the Pen.
That mindset is why broadcaster Johnny Doskow (currently with the Oakland Athletics) started calling Blach “The Preacher” when he was playing for the Sacramento River Cats in Triple-A. He’s had the nickname ever since.
“I’ve always lived my faith out, just kind of pretty openly and I think [Doskow] just took to that and that’s where he came up with The Preacher … and it just kind of stuck,” said Blach, who was one of three Rockies to speak Sunday at the team’s annual Faith Day.
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Selected in the fifth round of the 2012 draft out of Creighton University by the San Francisco Giants, Blach made his major league debut with the team in 2016. He started 24 games and pitched a career-high 163.2 innings in 2017.
Named San Francisco’s opening day starter in 2018, Blach bounced between the starting rotation and bullpen for the remainder of the season. He was designated for assignment by the Giants and Baltimore Orioles in 2019. The following year, he underwent Tommy John surgery.
Blach returned to the Orioles in 2021 and spent the season in the minors. He signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies ahead of the 2022 season but made 24 appearances in the majors.
Named to Colorado’s 2023 opening day roster, Blach was DFA’d again and wound up back in Triple-A. But he returned to the majors June 30 and quickly earned a spot in the rotation.
Since getting back to the big leagues, Blach has a 2.42 ERA in 26.0 innings of work. He has given up two or fewer runs in four of his five starts and had his longest start since 2018 against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 10, throwing six scoreless innings before giving up a home run to begin the seventh. Blach allowed two earned runs in five innings in his most recent outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Through all the ups and downs of his career, Blach has continued to trust in God’s plan.
“I think my faith is what keeps me grounded and allows me to keep going every single day,” he told Call to the Pen. “No matter if things are going good or bad. Just staying grounded in the Lord and just trusting that He’s got a greater plan for us and doing my best to live a life that’s worthy of everything that He’s given us.”
Blach is scheduled to take the mound again Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays. He has a 1-1 record with a 4.14 ERA in 12 appearances for the Rockies this season. First pitch from Tropicana Field is set for 6:40 p.m. ET.
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