Catching Up With Jacob Cozart

Jacob Cozart continues to work towards his dream of becoming a Major Leaguer. The former NC State catcher is currently honing his craft with the Lake County Captains, a high-class A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.

Cozart benefits from Lake County’s proximity to Cleveland – the ballparks of the two teams are located about 20 minutes apart – but his time at NC State, which includes an appearance at the 2024 College World Series, has also helped prepare him for professional baseball.

Inside Pack Sports recently caught up with Cozart to see how life is going in the Guardian Minor League system.

Take us back to what it was like being selected in the draft by Cleveland.
It was obviously a surreal feeling because one, you are getting drafted, and two, I grew up watching Cleveland. Cody Allen, who was the closer for a long time there, held the saves record.. I grew up watching Cleveland, going to Cleveland, so I was familiar with the area. It was a great spot. I knew how their catching development was. To say I was excited was an understatement.

If you do not mind explaining that connection with Cleveland, how did that happen?
Cody Allen, who was a closer, pitched for my dad in college, so we had that longstanding connection when he pitched at UCF. He was under my dad, and then he went to High Point under my dad as well, and then he shot through this farm system -- started here at Lake County, then shot his way up to the big leagues. For about four years straight, we would go up and watch him play.

What was the first thing that stuck out to you about pro ball?
How hands-on all the development people are. It is honestly insane, all that goes into every single player, how much time and effort they put in. It is just a great spot to be an amateur player.

When you first got to Lake County last season after being drafted, you were at once thrust into pro ball with a good team. Ultimately, you contributed to a league title with the Captains. What was that experience like?
Playing for a championship is what everyone wants to do. I know we tried to, at NC State, we made it to Omaha and came up short. I knew that feeling, that gut-wrenching feeling. It never feels good to have a season end on a loss, but having that experience of playing with the guys that were already here, just that connection and that knowledge of what it's like, played a key role, and it was great. I got a hit at that game, threw out a guy, but I have to hand it to the whole team. Everyone contributed their part to that championship.

During this past offseason, what was the emphasis in terms of your development?
The emphasis was learning from your failures and not beating yourself up over it because you are going to play a hundred-something games a year, which is different from college. When you have a bunch of games, day in and day out, that grind every single day, just try not to beat yourself and learn from your mistakes.

Personally, I go back with the Cleveland organization as well. I covered them both at a big league and minor league level from 2013-to-2017, and the common theme back then was top-notch, hands-on development with folks who took great pride in spending as much time as was needed with each prospect. Are things the same now? 
A hundred percent. Every day, I'm talking to our hitting coach. We're watching video. When I was in spring training, we had a fall camp where I went out and worked with multiple different hitting coaches, just pouring in hours upon hours into me, trying to get me to that next level to where I can shoot my way up through this farm system and hopefully make to the big leagues one day.

How do you balance chasing a dream of reaching the Majors with maintaining a day-to-day approach? 
I think the way to do that is going back to what I learned in college, and learn from (Elliott) Avent, and just do what you can to help the team win. If I do that part, whether it's behind the plate, getting a big hit, because at my position I can go oh-for-four and have a bad day at the plate, but still make a huge impact by calling a good game, making some plays behind the plate.

Being able to flip the switch from offense to defense, but ultimately just helping the team contribute to winning. That's what NC State was all about. That's what Cleveland's all about, and that's what they're preaching to us.

It sounds like NC State prepared you well for this.
Avent did a great job. He does that for everyone. You're not gonna do a better coaching staff.

Avent is going to read this and laugh at my interview because I said so many words, but I still have that longstanding connection with him, even though I'm out of the program. I still talk to him all the time. He pours into his guys. You become one of his dudes. You're his dude for life. He's still one of my closest mentors. He's my friend, let alone Coach Hart, Bo, Rob, Clint, all those guys pouring so much time and effort into you. They make you ready for the next level.

Looking ahead, you mentioned how you grew this past offseason. What are the growth opportunities during this season and beyond? What do you want to improve upon? What is Cleveland focusing on with you?
 Just getting more consistent at the plate. Obviously, that is what everyone's trying to do, but ultimately, I'm trying to grow my game, be a better leader, and be a better pitch call or game manager. That's what I'm here to do. I'm here to help the pitching staff get better. If hitting comes along with that, we'll be good too.

Do you allow yourself to dream about taking the field for the Guardians? 
All the time. I got a little taste of what it's like playing in a big league park this spring training. I got to play in a game at Chase Field against the Diamondbacks in one of the exhibition games. I got that experience, that little taste, and it was euphoric.

Yeah, it's a dream. Every kid dreams of it, and to taste what it's like to be with those guys day in and day out is what everyone dreams of doing. It's better than what people imagine.

Inside Pack Sports