Levi Sterling warms up before a start for the Bradenton Marauders. Provided photo.

It can be argued that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in professional sports. For batters this season in the Florida State League (FSL), Bradenton Marauders pitcher Levi Sterling has made it significantly more difficult. The 19-year-old righty, selected 37th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2024 MLB Draft, has made a name for himself in his first year in Single-A. In 17 starts, the Pirates’ 13th-ranked prospect has posted a 4-5 record, racking up 87 strikeouts across 79 innings. For the week of June 16-21, Minor League Baseball named Sterling the FSL Pitcher of the Week, after a start against the Clearwater Threshers that saw him surrender just two hits over six scoreless innings.

“It was definitely nice to be recognized,” says Sterling. “It was one of my better starts of the year, but I’ve really just been trying to rack up consistently good starts. The season’s been going well. I’ve made a lot of adjustments and have figured out how to get better from week to week.”

Some of the adjustments Sterling has made this season have been the addition of a two-seam fastball to complement his 4-seam fastball and a radical improvement of his slider. “It’s been nice to have two fastballs to keep hitters on their toes and have another weapon to use, mainly against righties,” says Sterling. “I made major improvements to my slider over the offseason. Last year, it was a pretty inconsistent pitch, but this season it’s almost been my go-to to get me back into counts. I feel confident with it.”

For Sterling, those adjustments have paid dividends. In his last two starts on July 12 and 18, Sterling matched his season-high strikeout total with nine in each appearance. That’s not to say that what he’s doing is easy. Every start is a battle—against the opposing hitters and the limits of his abilities. “You have got to be able to compete without your best stuff. It’s very rare to have all five of your pitches being the best that they are at the same time,” says Sterling. “I might lower the percentage of a certain pitch that I throw on a given start, but I’m never going to completely abandon a pitch, because they all serve a purpose.”

Bradenton Marauders, LECOM Park, 1611 9th St West, Bradenton

Levi Sterling warms up before a start for the Bradenton Marauders. Provided photo.

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