Pirates pitcher Quinn Priester admires MLB legend Kyle Hendricks

5 min read
Jul 23, 2024, 10:27 AM

Kyle Hendricks. Credit Ian D'Andrea

As the career of one stellar pitcher in the National League Central starts winding down, his achievements help inspire a blossoming ace on another team within the division. For Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks, 2024 is definitely looking like the end of the line.

Hendricks, the last link to the 2016 Cubs team that ended the 108 year World Series drought, just doesn't have it this year. However, he has served as a major inspiration to the 18th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, Pittsburgh Pirates super-prospect Quinn Priester.

Nicknamed "The Professor," Hendricks claimed the ERA title (2.13) and finished third in Cy Young award voting during the Cubs World Series season of 2016. And he's certainly a good role model for a young local pitcher to look up to.

Priester grew up in Glendale Heights, a northwest suburb of Chicago, where he developed an affinity for the Cubs.

The Professor's professionalism is an inspiration to Priester, who is currently 3-1, with a 3.21 ERA for the Indianapolis Indians, the Pirates AAA affiliate. After making his MLB debut last season, Priester has been going back and forth between the parent club and Indians.

With the big league Pirates this season, Priester is 2-5 with a 4.43 ERA, ahead of the next call-up, which could come within the next few weeks. Priester actually throws a lot harder than Hendricks, as his four seam fastball tops out at about 92 to 94 mph.

It was hitting as high as 97 on the gun when he was drafted out of Cary-Grove high school in '19.

Hendricks doesn't even reach into the 90s with his velocity, but he certainly had (before suffering a shoulder strain) one of the best change-ups in Major League Baseball, especially among starters.

"With what he has, he does it better than anyone else," Priester said in an exclusive interview with RG.org.

"I could be wrong, and maybe I'm just missing someone, but you don't see guys throwing 86-87 mph fastballs and being as productive as he is."

"He doesn't throw 100 mph like a lot of the starters now, but the dude gets outs, so it's really fun to watch him be surgical with how he pitches and kind of carve lineups up, top to bottom while being extremely efficient."

Priester said he's looking to just be efficient in his baseball career. He wants to get through innings, and get guys out, which is exactly what Hendricks does. He also admires the Cubs starting pitcher's all-business demeanor.

"He would throw a perfect game and you wouldn't see him smile once, that dude is all business."

Priester has a solid repertoire of four pitches, but if he develops his off-speed pitch further, he'll have five.

"Definitely happy with where my stuff is at, my stuff is great and I've learned to trust it," he continued.

"One thing I've continued to work on is the change-up and trying to understand how to take some velocity off that and learn how to command that in the zone. So I think that is the main focus right now- the fast balls and breaking balls feel great. But the change up right now, I think, could be a lot better.

"If I could add that as a fifth weapon back into the arsenal - I've had some really good days, and I'm doing that with four."

"So ultimately that's what is lacking the most but everything else is playing up well."

Rated the best right-handed pitching prospect in the NL Central division by MLB in 2023, the future is very bright for Priester.

"I don't want to stress about it too much," he concluded. "I just want to keep competing my ass off and throwing what I have that day. I've had some ups and downs this season, but every single outing, I'm learning something new and I'm getting better at something else. And I know that pretty soon here, it's going to show up with really great results."

In addition to Hendricks, Priester said that he also looks up to and tries to learn something from the Texas Rangers' Max Scherzer, the Los Angeles Dodgers' Walker Buehler, and the New York Yankees' Gerrit Cole.

Eventually, down the line, Priester will have to move on to something else other than baseball, and the second act of his life could really take off; literally and figuratively.

His great-grandfather, George J. Priester, founded a company called Priester Aviation, a private jet charter/aircraft management firm located at Chicago Executive (formerly known as Palwaukee) Airport in northwest suburban Wheeling, IL.

George Priester, along with his son Charlie, built the airport up into what it is today. Before the Priester family bought and developed the land, there just wasn't much there.

Quinn, who has substantially gotten into aviation himself, indicated that once his baseball career is over, he may possibly go back to school and fully learn how to fly.

"We'll see where life takes me," he said.

Paul M. Banks is a professional Content Creator whose career has seen bylines in numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Yahoo, MSN, FOX Sports and Sports Illustrated.

Banks has made scores of guest appearances on live radio and television, featuring regularly on NTD News, WGN-TV, CCTV, ESPN Radio, the History Channel, SiriusXM and CBS Sports Radio.

He is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank.net, which has been featured and linked in hundreds of leading media outlets all across the world.

He has also authored two books, one of which, "No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in Sports Media," became an assigned textbook in journalism courses at State University New York-Oneonta.

Interests:
NFL
EPL
MLB
NCAAF

More RG Exclusive Interviews

Our Authors

Paruyr Shahbazyan began his business career in 2000 as a private entrepreneur. Over thirteen years, he developed a deep understanding for business and leadership, laying a solid foundation for his professional journey.

In 2013, Paruyr stepped into the sports and betting industry as the founder and president of Bookmaker Rating. This online mass media platform, which he led until 2020, focused on providing in-depth analysis and insights in sports betting, earning a reputation for its quality content. 

Continuing his innovative approach in 2022, Paruyr co-founded Azuro, a decentralized betting protocol. This venture showcases his dedication to integrating advanced technology in the evolving landscape of sports betting. Through these diverse experiences, Paruyr has continuously influenced and shaped the betting industry, driving new trends and setting high standards.

 ExperienceYear
Engaged in private entrepreneurship2000-2013
Founder and President at Bookmaker Rating, an online platform focused on sports and betting2013-2020
Co-founder at Azuro, a decentralized betting protocol2022

"Innovation in sportsbetting comes from a deep understanding of both technology and the human element of sports." 

- Paruyr Shahbazyan, Founder, RG

 

Principles and Ethics

Paruyr Shahbazyan's core beliefs lie in the power of informed decision-making and integrity in the betting industry. He understands that the foundation of successful betting is not just about odds and predictions, but also about the trust and reliability of the information provided. Paruyr advocates for a betting environment where transparency and knowledge are paramount, ensuring that bettors are well-equipped with accurate data and insights.

Strategic Vision

Paruyr's vision is to revolutionize the sports betting industry through the integration of technology. He sees the future of betting as a blend of traditional sports knowledge with innovative tech solutions, like decentralized protocols, to enhance user experience and fairness. His aim is to create platforms that are not only user-friendly but also uphold the highest standards of ethical betting, contributing to a more responsible and enjoyable betting culture.

Future Perspectives

Looking towards the future, Paruyr envisions a betting landscape that is more inclusive, technologically advanced, and globally connected. He anticipates a significant shift towards more decentralized and transparent betting systems, driven by blockchain technology. Paruyr is committed to being at the forefront of this change, continuously exploring new possibilities and innovations that can redefine what it means to engage in sports betting in a digital world. His focus is on building systems that prioritize user empowerment, fairness, and the global growth of the sports betting community.

 

Sol Fayerman-Hansen
Sol Fayerman-Hansen
Editor-in-Chief

Sol has over 20 years of experience in writing for diverse industries including sports, gambling, regulation, technology, and startups. As the Editor-in-Chief at RG, Sol brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role, focusing on delivering transparent, evidence-based content grounded in thorough research. Sol's mission is to empower readers to enjoy gambling responsibly and make informed decisions, enhancing their overall experience through insightful and engaging content. Under Sol's leadership, RG prioritizes the highest standards of integrity and reliability, ensuring that all information provided is accurate and trustworthy. Sol's dedication to transparency and research-based writing helps create a responsible gambling environment where readers can truly benefit from the content. This commitment to excellence has positioned RG as a leading source of information in the gambling industry.

Experience:

  • Over 20 years in writing and editing across multiple industries
  • Former head of regional innovation at BMO Financial Group
  • Senior Writer, Online Casino Reports
Cristina Varela Galan
Cristina Varela Galan
Problem Gambling Expert

Cristina used to work as a Psychology Assistant in the Bizkaia Pathological and Risky Gamblers Association. She was also part of a research team in Deusto University, specializing in pathological gambling area. While working there, she managed to develop her own project 

 “Exploring the association between emotional regulation, alexithymia, stressful life events and gambling in adolescent and young adult women”.

Nick Ashbourne
Nick Ashbourne
Senior Writer

Nick has been fascinated with sports since he was first taken to a Toronto Maple Leafs game back in 1998, and he's written about them professionally since 2014.

Nick has covered baseball and hockey for outlets like The Athletic, Sportsnet, and Yahoo Sports, and his sports betting expertise has grown since its legalization in Ontario in 2022. 

Between 2022 and 2023 he worked for a betting startup called NorthStar Bets, and in 2024 he contributed to Oddspedia before joining the Responsible Gambler team.

Sergey Demidov
Sergey Demidov
Head of News Department

Sergey has been in sports journalism since 2007 as a reporter, editor, and manager. He has covered the Olympic Games, soccer World Cups, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the European championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, IOC events, and many others. Sergey interviewed the sport's greatest athletes, coaches, and executives. Since 2016, he has been an Independent Senior Editor of NHL.com/ru.

Anna Kravtcova
Anna Kravtcova
Problem Gambling Expert

Ph.D. in organizational psychology, an internationally certified psychologist (EuroPsy 2022, Cognitive behavioural therapy of mindfulness 2020, International Society for Emotional Intelligence 2017, Russian Psychological society 2014, American Psychological Association(Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologist) 2011), speaker of many international conferences (USA, Brazil, Portugal, Czech Republic, Russia, etc.). TEDx speaker.

Mark Medina
Mark Medina
NBA Reporter

Mark Medina is a longtime NBA reporter that includes stints as a Lakers blogger with The Los Angeles Times (2010-12), Lakers beat writer with the Los Angeles Daily News (2012-17), Warriors beat writer with Bay Area News Group (2017-19) as well as an NBA reporter/columnist for USA Today (2019-21) and NBA.com (2021-23). Medina is also an NBA insider with Fox Sports Radio and frequent contributor to CBSLA's SportsCentralLA with Jim Hill and with Spectrum Sportsnet.

Daria Tuboltseva
Daria Tuboltseva
Hockey Reporter

Daria went to St. Petersburg State University and earned a bachelor of international journalism. Working as a sports journalist from 2014, from 2016 as a hockey journalist. Covered 5 World Championships, 2022 Winter Olympics, 2020 World Juniors, 6 Gagarin Cup Finals. 

Owner of a telegram channel Coolest Game on Earth.

Integrative nutritionist specializing on sports nutritionology.

Paul M. Banks
Paul M. Banks
Sports Reporter

Paul M. Banks is a professional Content Creator whose career has seen bylines in numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Yahoo, MSN, FOX Sports and Sports Illustrated.

Banks has made scores of guest appearances on live radio and television, featuring regularly on NTD News, WGN-TV, CCTV, ESPN Radio, the History Channel, SiriusXM and CBS Sports Radio.

He is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank.net, which has been featured and linked in hundreds of leading media outlets all across the world.

He has also authored two books, one of which, "No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in Sports Media," became an assigned textbook in journalism courses at State University New York-Oneonta.

Marco D'Amico
Marco D'Amico
Hockey Reporter

Marco D'Amico is a beat reporter covering the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL Draft, while also being a recurring guest on TSN690 and BPM Sports. His work primarily on NHL CBA breakdowns and prospect analysis, all while covering the Montreal Canadiens on a day-to-day basis.

Show More