International baseball prospects face a grind that continues long after the final out, and Joel Hurtado knows exactly where his next shift begins. At Toyota Field in Madison, Alabama, the Dominican right-hander runs stadium steps between starts, building the strength to survive another outing. While his teammates work through their own routines, Hurtado keeps climbing. Those extra strides have become part of a career that has carried him thousands of miles from home.
By June 2026, Hurtado had turned that discipline into a 2.87 ERA through 12 starts, the second-best mark in the Southern League. Chris Harris, reporting for the Rocket City Trash Pandas, traced his rise from an overlooked Angels signing to one of Double-A baseball’s most reliable starters.
Hurtado entered professional baseball with a $10,000 signing bonus and little experience on the mound. Four years later, his sinker could reach 99 mph. Yet his journey demanded far more than learning how to overpower hitters.
His mother and brothers remained in the Dominican Republic, offering encouragement through phone conversations while he moved between American cities. Their voices provided something the ballpark could not: a familiar connection when the demands of professional baseball became overwhelming.
Baseball can measure his velocity and strikeout rate. But how does an organization measure the exhaustion, homesickness, and daily uncertainty that accompany a young player’s pursuit of the majors?
The first challenge begins before the first road trip
Hurtado never followed the usual path of a Dominican pitching prospect. He grew up playing third base, stepped away from baseball around 17, and began playing softball. A coach noticed his powerful throwing arm and encouraged him to try pitching. By 19, Hurtado was learning a position that many professional prospects had practiced since childhood.
Two years later, the Angels offered him a contract. The modest bonus gave him an opportunity, but it came without the financial cushion enjoyed by baseball’s most celebrated international signees. Hurtado entered the organization knowing he had ground to make up.
His early lessons covered surprisingly basic details. Angels translator Alberto Rios recalled that Hurtado initially struggled to distinguish pitching from the windup and the stretch. Coaches José Marte, Enrique González, and Elmer Dessens helped him understand mechanics, preparation, and the responsibilities of a professional pitcher.
Meanwhile, life away from the field brought its own challenges. Moving from the Dominican Republic to an American affiliate meant learning unfamiliar routines, finding food he enjoyed, and navigating everyday conversations in another language. Something as ordinary as arranging transportation could require help from a teammate.
For international baseball prospects, those responsibilities often arrive alongside their first serious test against American minor league competition. A promotion means tougher hitters, but it also brings another city to navigate and new people to trust.
Hurtado responded by building habits he could carry anywhere. He learned to prepare between starts, study opposing hitters, and take care of his body. His routine followed him through Inland Empire, Tri-City, and Rocket City, even as the competition grew more demanding.
The bus rides wear down more than tired legs
Major leaguers generally fly charter. Minor leaguers spend much of their season on buses, carrying pillows and headphones while interstate signs pass through darkened windows.
After a late game, players still need dinner, treatment, and sleep. A long journey can leave muscles stiff, while an unfamiliar hotel bed offers little comfort before the next day’s preparation. Pitchers face an especially difficult balancing act because their bodies must recover between outings.
Baseball has shortened some of those journeys. Since MLB changed minor league scheduling in 2021, teams have generally played longer series against the same opponent rather than constantly moving between cities. Baseball America reported that the new schedules initially cut projected travel mileage by 27% to 57%, depending on the league.
For players like Hurtado, those changes mean fewer nights spent arriving in a new city and more chances to establish a routine. A weekly off-day also provides a welcome break from the constant cycle of games and travel.
However, the physical demands remain. A pitcher cannot postpone his next start because his legs feel heavy or the previous night’s sleep fell short.
Hurtado’s preparation starts when the previous outing ends
Rocket City manager Joe Kruzel has watched Hurtado turn recovery into a daily commitment. The pitcher runs stadium steps, spends time in the weight room, and works through a carefully planned schedule between appearances.
Kruzel told Harris that Hurtado takes particular care with eating, sleeping, and conditioning. Pitching coach Tim Leveque also praised his consistency, describing a player who approaches each day’s work with purpose.
Those habits helped Hurtado recover from a difficult opening stretch in 2026.
After posting a 5.66 ERA through his first five starts, he found his rhythm. Against Pensacola on May 10, Hurtado delivered six no-hit innings, allowing only an unearned run. Less than a week later, he struck out eight Birmingham hitters across six innings.
His sinker generally sat between 94 and 97 mph, occasionally touching 99. A sharp slider gave him another weapon when hitters started looking for the fastball.
Hurtado finished May with a 1.33 ERA across 27 innings, a remarkable turnaround that reflected the preparation Harris documented in his Trash Pandas feature.
For international baseball prospects, protecting those habits can prove especially difficult during their first American seasons. Unfamiliar meals, changing schedules, and long stretches away from family can disrupt the consistency professional athletes need.
Hurtado cannot control every mile between ballparks. He can control how seriously he prepares when the traveling stops. But tired legs are only one part of life on the road. Once the bus pulls into another unfamiliar city, some players face a challenge no conditioning routine can fix: finding the words to ask for help.
The language barrier follows players home from the stadium
For Dominican pitcher Dauri Moreta, that struggle followed him right through the front door.
In 2018, Moreta arrived in Dayton, Ohio, to play for Cincinnati’s Class-A affiliate. The Reds arranged for him to stay with a host family, where he met a woman named Janet. He had somewhere to sleep and people willing to help him settle in. What he lacked was a way to talk to them.
Moreta spoke almost no English, while Janet knew no Spanish. With no other player in the house to interpret, they turned to Google Translate and slowly worked through their conversations.
As Alex Stumpf reported for MLB.com, the two gradually learned each other’s language. Years later, they still spoke regularly.
Moreta could face professional hitters, but communicating with someone inside his own home required an entirely different kind of patience.
That difficulty follows international baseball prospects into grocery stores, medical appointments, and conversations with coaches. Players may understand baseball instructions through interpreters while struggling to explain ordinary concerns outside the clubhouse.
A missed travel instruction or misunderstood appointment can create problems before anyone steps onto the field. Young players also need enough confidence to ask questions rather than pretend they understand.
Bryan Ramos learned English while baseball stood still
The Chicago White Sox encountered similar challenges through Cuban infielder Bryan Ramos, who arrived in the United States with limited English.
During the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, Ramos remained in Arizona because of his immigration circumstances. With minor league games suspended, he had little baseball to occupy his days and no family living with him.
He began studying English with help from White Sox staff members Erin Santana and Grant Flick. Flick worked through lessons with Ramos in Arizona, while Santana practiced conversations with him over video calls.
Scott Merkin’s reporting for MLB.com described how Ramos progressed from barely understanding the language to speaking it fluently within roughly a year.
When Chicago called him to the majors in May 2024, Ramos could handle interviews in English. His progress reflected months of effort during a period when his playing career had temporarily stalled.
Santana also helped international players manage ordinary problems, from medical insurance questions to transportation and immigration concerns. Some became comfortable enough with her to call her Mom.
For a young player living thousands of miles from his actual mother, that relationship could offer reassurance after a difficult day.
A place to sleep does not always feel like home
A freshly furnished apartment might give a player a comfortable bed and a working kitchen. It still cannot recreate the smell of his family’s cooking or the familiar noise of a neighborhood back home.
A Dominican prospect craving sancocho might spend an evening searching grocery shelves for the right ingredients. Another player could struggle to reach a store without a car, depending on teammates for rides after practice.
Those small frustrations can pile up during a long season.
Housing improvements have removed some of the uncertainty. Since 2022, MLB clubs have provided furnished accommodation for most assigned minor league players under expanded housing rules. The 2023 minor league labor agreement strengthened those protections and improved pay and travel conditions.
A player who no longer has to scramble for an affordable apartment can devote more time to recovery. Yet even a comfortable room can feel lonely after another long road trip.
Hurtado’s family remains an important part of his life because no organizational benefit can replace that connection. His mother and brothers continue to offer encouragement during successful stretches and difficult ones.
Pittsburgh teaches prospects how to live independently
The Pittsburgh Pirates have tried to prepare young players for those challenges before they leave the Dominican Republic.
Their 52-acre academy in El Toro combines baseball training with formal education and practical life skills. Players attend classes, learn professional habits, and receive instruction that extends beyond the diamond.
The approach helped shape Esmerlyn Valdez and Wilber Dotel, who both reached Pittsburgh in 2026.
Dotel arrived in the organization on a $65,000 contract in 2020. Valdez followed a year later for $130,000, and the two eventually shared meals and conversations about reaching the majors together.
Jason Mackey’s reporting for MLB.com detailed how their academy experience influenced their development. Both players pointed to education, maturity, and discipline when discussing what they had learned.
The academy also taught practical skills, including cooking, that players could use when living independently. Those lessons might seem minor compared with hitting mechanics or fastball command, but they become valuable during a season spent moving between unfamiliar places.
For international baseball prospects, knowing how to prepare a meal or handle everyday responsibilities means fewer problems competing for attention.
Hurtado developed many of those habits through coaches and years of experience. Pittsburgh’s approach tries to give younger players a head start before the first American road trip.
The people around a prospect can matter as much as the scouting report
Hurtado’s relationship with his family has remained steady throughout his professional career.
His mother and brothers speak with him regularly, whether his pitching goes well or not. When the results turn against him, they offer encouragement that extends beyond the next outing.
Those conversations help preserve a connection to the life he left behind.
Inside the clubhouse, Hurtado has found another support system. Kruzel praised his work ethic and relationships with teammates, while Leveque admired the consistency of his preparation.
Their guidance helps him handle the daily demands of pitching. His family provides perspective when baseball threatens to consume every thought.
Not every international prospect has the same resources. Some arrive with relatives already living in the United States. Others depend on interpreters, host families, or teammates who speak their language.
The strongest organizations recognize that young players need people they can approach without worrying about how a question might affect their standing.
Santana’s work with the White Sox illustrates that difference. Players sometimes confided in her about concerns they hesitated to raise with coaches responsible for evaluating their performance.
A hitter worried about losing his place in the lineup might keep quiet about a problem. That same player could speak openly with someone whose job involves helping him adjust to life outside the sport.
For international baseball prospects, that trust can make a difficult assignment easier to manage. A familiar face in the clubhouse may matter just as much as a familiar routine on the field.
Baseball can measure almost everything except the hardest adjustment
Modern scouting departments can examine a pitcher in extraordinary detail.
They know how fast his pitches travel, where the ball leaves his hand, and how sharply it breaks before reaching the plate. Hitting departments study exit velocity, swing decisions, and contact quality with similar precision.
Those measurements reveal what players accomplish between the foul lines. They cannot fully explain what happens after everyone leaves the ballpark.
A young hitter might arrive exhausted after a poor night’s sleep. Another could struggle to concentrate because he cannot communicate comfortably with teammates.
Their numbers might show declining performance without revealing the source of the problem.
Travel fatigue and cultural adjustment do not explain every slump. Sometimes a hitter simply cannot handle a breaking ball, or a pitcher needs to improve his command.
Still, coaches risk missing useful information when they treat every struggle as a mechanical problem.
Hurtado’s 2026 season offers a reminder of how quickly performance can change. After stumbling through April, he became one of Double-A’s most effective starters during May and early June.
His preparation remained steady while the results improved.
Some prospects never experience that turnaround. They struggle long enough for organizations to question their future before their confidence or circumstances improve.
For international baseball prospects, a difficult assignment can become especially challenging when poor performance coincides with an unfamiliar environment.
The task for development staffs involves recognizing when a player needs technical instruction and when he needs help maintaining the routine that supports his talent.
Another promotion brings another unfamiliar road
Hurtado’s strong first half eventually earned him another opportunity.
In August 2026, the Angels promoted him from Rocket City to Triple-A Salt Lake. The move brought him closer to the majors, but it also introduced more experienced hitters and a different travel schedule.
His results reflected the tougher competition.
After establishing himself as a dependable Double-A starter, Hurtado posted a 7.57 ERA across eight Triple-A starts. His final line in Minor League Baseball’s 2026 records told the story of a season filled with progress and setbacks: 8 wins, 7 losses, a 4.65 ERA, and 113 strikeouts across 137⅓ innings between Rocket City and Salt Lake.
Those numbers looked considerably different from his June breakthrough. They did not erase the progress that carried him there.
Hurtado had already transformed himself from a former third baseman and softball player into a professional pitcher capable of handling Double-A hitters. Now he needed to make another adjustment.
New opponents would challenge his command. Different ballparks and travel arrangements would test the routines he had spent years building.
And far away in the Dominican Republic, his family would remain part of the journey.
International baseball prospects adjust to minor league travel through thousands of small experiences that rarely appear in scouting reports. Some learn English from host families. Others discover independence through academy lessons, trusted coaches, and friendships formed during long road trips.
The process rarely follows a predictable schedule.
A prospect can dominate one level and struggle at the next. He can feel comfortable in a clubhouse while still missing his family every evening. Success on the field does not automatically make life away from it easier.
Hurtado has spent much of his career learning to handle those competing demands. When his pitching faltered, he returned to his routine. After another promotion, he faced another challenge.
The stadium steps in Alabama helped build that discipline, but the road demanded much more. Thousands of international prospects face those same miles, chasing major league opportunities through unfamiliar cities and exhausting seasons. Hurtado can keep climbing, keep throwing, and keep calling home. Whether baseball gives players like him enough support to survive the journey may matter just as much as the talent that started it.
FAQs
Q1. How do international baseball prospects adjust to minor league travel?
They build routines around sleep, nutrition, and recovery. Teammates, coaches, and family also help them navigate unfamiliar cities and long stretches away from home.
Q2. Why is minor league travel difficult for international players?
Long bus rides, language barriers, unfamiliar food, and homesickness make adjustment challenging. Players must handle these problems while competing for promotions.
Q3. How do MLB teams help international prospects learn English?
Some teams provide language teachers, interpreters, and education coordinators. Bryan Ramos improved his English through lessons and daily conversations with White Sox staff.
Q4. How did Joel Hurtado reach Triple-A Salt Lake?
Hurtado developed a strong sinker-slider combination and maintained a disciplined recovery routine. His Double-A performances earned him a Triple-A promotion in August 2026.
Q5. What do international baseball academies teach besides baseball?
Academies such as Pittsburgh’s Dominican facility teach English, academic subjects, cooking, and professional habits. These skills help players become more independent.
