Jays' prospect Sellers sets aside bat for career on mound

Right-hander Donnie Sellers. Photo: Shannon Pakulis

By Shannon Pakulis

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Light-hitting Donnie Sellers realized after high school his career path was going to be on the mound.

That turned out to be one of the best athletic decisions in his life.

The right-handed pitcher, drafted in 2017 from the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, has adapted well to professional baseball, moving up in the organization on schedule.

Looking back on that decision, the reason was pretty simple.

“[It was] a lack of actually being able to hit,” said Sellers, laughing on a rainy day at the field. “I wasn’t making contact with the ball but when I was it was really good.”

“Coaches in college said I couldn’t hit anymore. I fractured my wrist my freshman year and had to put the bat down for a little bit so that’s when pitching started taking more of a foreground,” he said.

Because of his natural athleticism and ability to adapt he was able to pick up pitching fairly fast.

“I had the mindset that I was going to be a professional hitter but things don’t always go the way you plan. You have to live and adapt but I think I’ve done a pretty good job of learning how to pitch,” he said.

His experience playing for two minor league teams has helped the transition. After starting with Vancouver in 2017 Sellers moved to the Lansing Lugnuts last season where he was 7-3, 3.98 ERA, in 22 games, 13 of them starts.

The righty struck out 71 batters while walking only 27.

“At Lansing it was my first full season so having a plan, being a starter, throwing every five days and getting used to that rotation has helped me physically and mentally,” he said.

He has been working a lot on pitching and now has a slider-fastball-changeup combo that he is very confident with.

One of the things Sellers enjoys most about being a pitcher is fielding practice – ground balls, making the toss to first, taking the relay from the first baseman.

“I take a lot of pride in my PFP’s. I want to be the best always at PFP’s,” he said. “I say pitchers are the best athletes because we not only have to throw strikes but if the ball comes off the bat and we have to go get it we have to make that play and we are involved in every single play.”