Athlete of the Week: Dax Whitney, Blackfoot Baseball
BLACKFOOT (KIFI) - It’s hard to stress just how dominant Dax Whitney has been this baseball season.
Blackfoot’s senior ace leads 4A in strikeouts, he’s third in ERA, and he’s also batting .500. He’s putting up video game numbers very few high schoolers can ever hope to reach.
“I just try to make sure that I still have fun, ‘cause I know there’s a lot of pressure on me,” Whitney said. “There’s 10-15 scouts at every single one of the games I pitch. So I think just staying cool, calm, and collected is the biggest thing for me.”
Whitney has pitched 26 innings so far in 2024. He’s only allowed two runs - just one of them earned. He’s struck out an eye-watering 62 batters. And unlike most high school flamethrowers, accuracy isn’t an issue; he’s only surrendered five walks.
Whitney throws four pitches, but he mainly credits his fastball for his success. His four-seamer tops out at 96 miles per hour. That’s faster than many Major League starting pitchers.
“I’ve thrown sliders up to 85-86 miles per hour,” Whitney said. “So that’s faster than most kids around here’s fastballs.”
Local News 8 asked Whitney about wear-and-tear concerns. A number of high-profile pitchers are already out for the rest of his MLB season with arm injuries. Many fingers have been pointed towards the literal arms race.
“I mean, it’s definitely a worry, just because I still have a lot of weight I need to put onto my body,” Whitney admitted.
But he has an unorthodox way to keep his arm healthy, which he took from the greatest fireballer of all-time.
“I got a book about Nolan Ryan,” Whitney explained. “It said he always throws a football before he pitches. So I started implementing that.”
“A lot of times, you warm up, your first throw you’re kinda like, ‘Ah,’ you’re a little tight,” he continued. “After you throw a football, your first throw feels like you’re ready to go. So that helps me get loosened up a ton.”
Sure, the Oregon State commit feels plenty of pressure and has a number of worries on his plate.
“I have an expectation from my teammates, my coaches, my family, my opponents,” Whitney said. “So, I mean, I don’t feel like I need to meet their expectations. I just need to meet my own expectations.”
Local News 8 asked Whitney if he ever steps back and takes in his success.
“I mean, yeah,” he said. “My friends tease me. They’re like, ‘Dude, you’re gonna base the rest of your life off how hard you can throw a little white ball.’ I mean, I just love baseball. I always have. It’s my favorite thing to do.”
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