Catching Up with Andrew Edwards of the Royals

Earlier this year, before the start of the 2014 season, Royals prospect Andrew Edwards was kind enough to answer a few questions for us. With the season just past the halfway point, and with Edwards and his family receiving the great news that his mother had won her fight with cancer, we checked in to see if he would be willing to answer a few more questions for the site. Once again, he was kind enough to respond, agreeing to answer questions about his season thus far.

Dave Hill: This season, for the Lexington Legends, you have gone between the starting rotation and the bullpen. Even though you had been a starter in college, you had spent last season in the bullpen. Do you prefer starting or relieving, and why?

Andrew Edwards: I prefer to pitch out of the bullpen. For me, I enjoy the intensity of the situation when you come into the game. You don’t have a lot of time to think about things coming out of the bullpen. You have to react rather than think.

DH: Recently, you had announced on Twitter that your mother was won her battle with cancer. How difficult was it to focus on the mound while she was going through that fight?

AE: First off, I have to give all praise to God on her situation. Without him, myself, my family, or her would have had a very difficult time with this dilemma. That was a big thing my mom kept telling me everyday. Don’t worry about her, go focus on baseball. Anyone would feel the same exact way, I always worried about her. I actually used baseball as my stress reliever in this situation. For me to do my job properly, I can’t focus on anything else but the task at hand. So baseball was a great way to help me get through this tough time.

DH: Having been born in Kentucky and having gone to Western Kentucky University, how much easier was it for you to be nearby while your mother was going through her fight?

AE: It was great for her and my family. Although she only was able to come see me a handful of times even when she was a couple hours away. The chemotherapy and radiation took a toll on her but she was listening/watching every game from home.

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DH: What is it like pitching in your home state?

AE: It’s really cool pitching in my home state. I’ve had many friends and family come see me play this which has been great. It’s awesome getting to play in Lexington again, as I played here my junior year of high school for the state tournament and was in amazement of the park. Now I’m playing here for the season. It’s really awesome.

DH: The beginning this season was a bit of a struggle, but you seem to have righted the ship over the past ten outings. What adjustments have you made since the start of the season?

AE: The biggest adjustment for me was the move to the bullpen. I’m more comfortable pitching in relief. Whether that be for one out or four innings. The other adjustments that helped me where mechanical issues and just staying consistent with my delivery. Being repeatable (with the delivery) as a pitcher is one of the most important skills you can learn.

DH: What are your goals for the rest of the season, and what are you looking to improve upon?

AE: My goals for the rest of the season are to stay healthy and get better as a pitcher. Of course, my ultimate goal is to move up in the organization but I can’t worry about that until it happens. The only thing I can control and improve on is becoming the nest pitcher I can and force the guys in charge to give me and opportunity at the next level.

Our thanks once again to Andrew Edwards for taking the time to answer these questions. We wish him all the best for the remainder of the season, and hope for the continued good health of his mother.