Jordan Cote: Story and Interview

The state of New Hampshire is largely considered to be Red Sox country, not for Jordan Cote who at a young age became a fan of the enemy, the New York Yankees. Growing up watching the likes of Roger Clemens, Derek Jeter and Mariano Riveria take center stage, Cote dreamed about one day wearing the pinstripes that many Yankee greats once wore. That dream took one step closer to reality when the New York Yankees selected Cote in the 2011 draft.

Jordan Cote: Quick Stats

Team: New York Yankees

Twitter: @JordanCote603

Height: 6′ 5″, Weight: 215 lb. Born: November 13, 1992 in Sanbornton, New Hampshire

Drafted:  New York Yankees in the 3rd round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft

Favorite Player: Roger Clemens

Chasing The Dream: The Jordan Cote Story

The state of New Hampshire is largely considered to be Red Sox country.  Not for Jordan Cote who at a young age became a fan of the enemy, the New York Yankees. Growing up watching the likes of Roger Clemens, Derek Jeter and Mariano Riveria, Cote dreamed about one day wearing the pinstripes that many Yankee greats once wore. That dream took one step closer to reality when the New York Yankees selected Cote in the 2011 draft.

Before being selected by the Yankees, Cote pitched for his high school team, the Winnisquam Bears. During his junior season he led Winnisquam to the state championships. During the championship game against undefeated Somersworth, Cote dominated the competition and tossed a no-hitter. With the victory, Winnisquam High School won its first ever state championship title. Cote finished his junior season with an 11-0 record and a 0.66 ERA to go along with a state championship ring.

Scouts not only began to take notice of the impressive performance Cote displayed on the mound, they also took notice of his projectability. Standing 6’5 and weighing in at 215 pounds, Cote still has plenty of room to grow and had many scouts projecting what his future could hold as his senior year got underway. With as many as a dozen scouts watching Cote’s first starts of the year, Cote continued his dominance, despite temperatures in the 30’s and snow falling during some of his games. A dozen scouts soon became two dozen as the season progressed. Cotes name was flying up draft boards all over the game of baseball. Cote finished the season with an 6-1 record and an ERA of 0.77. The right hander struck out nearly 2 batters an inning during his senior season. Cote’s on the field accolades did not go unnoticed as Gatorade named Cote, the state of New Hampshire Player of the Year.

As Cote’s senior year and baseball season began to wind down, the 2011 MLB amateur draft approached. While he knew he would be selected at some point in the draft, prognosticators had this soon to be Winnisquam alum being selected anywhere between the 3rd and 7th round. Starting his professional career was not Cote’s only option. After being heavily recruited by many schools such as Boston College, Connecticut, Coastal Carolina and Vanderbilt, Cote ended up signing a letter of intent with Coastal Carolina in November before his senior season began.

It did not take long for Cote to hear his name on the second day of the draft. As he attempted to complete a take home final, the New York Yankees selected him with their third round selection. Soon after Matt Hyde, Cotes area games coach and Yankees northeast scout called and welcomed him into the Yankee family. The team that Cote had dreamed about playing for since he started watching baseball was the team who selected him. While the decision of what college to attend may have been a tough one, another decision loomed after the draft. For some the decision between going to college or starting your professional career can be tough, for Jordan Cote it was a no brainer.

Along with his family and his agents they immediately started to negotiate with the Yankees. Although the negotiation and eventual signing of the contract came down to the end of the signing period, Cote was ready to turn pro and wear the pinstripe uniform for the first time. After signing the deal, for a reported $725,000 bonus, Cote was off to the Yankees facilities in Florida for instruction by the Yankees staff.

Cote did not make his professional debut in-game action until 2012 when he took the mound for the Gulf Coast League Yankees. Appearing in six games, Cote dominated his opponents just like in high school. He went 3-0 with a 0.98 ERA over the course of 27.2 innings. He struck out 25 batters during that time and showed excellent control walking only four batters. Unfortunately for Cote his season was cut short due to some tendonitis in his shoulder. While he was not able to return to game action before the season ended, the right hander did participate in instructionals and other off-season activities with the Yankees.

As the 2013 season nears, Cote has been working hard not only in his home town in New Hampshire but also in Florida for the upcoming season. With spring training officially set to start on March 2nd for Yankees minor leaguers, Cote is excited to build on what he has learned over the course of his short time with the Yankees. We will be sure to follow Jordan every step of the way, from spring training games to the last pitch of the regular season. Follow Jordan on twitter @JordanCote603 and follow-us for updates on all our featured players at @CTD_Sypien.

Seven Questions with Jordan Cote

1. What was it like being drafted? Where were you when you found out and what did you do to celebrate?

I was actually taking a final exam at school. My teacher let me take it at home. I was there with my family and a couple of friends came over but I didn’t celebrate for long. I had a baseball game the next day. It was awesome though, I grew up a Yankees fan even though I’m really in Red Sox country. I always got some crap for it. I was very close with the Yankees scout Matt Hyde, it meant a lot being drafted by him. He was my area code coach and was also my coach in a lot of showcases.

2. You had committed to going to Coastal Carolina. Was it a hard decision to pass up the experience of college?

Not at all. I went down to Coastal for a few visits and I loved the coaching staff. One of my favorite coaches though actually left Coastal for UCF. He was a big part of me wanting to go there. Sometimes I wonder “What if I did go?” but I ultimately think I made the right choice. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity and team.

3. What was the whole negotiation process like for you?

It was pretty easy for me. When it was the Yankees, it made it easy. If I was drafted by another team then it could have been a little bit different. They were pretty generous with us and worked well with me and my agent.. From day one, Matt Hyde told me we would work it out, it took to the deadline but we had a pretty good idea that it was going to happen.

4. Being from New Hampshire do you feel its harder to get noticed since the weather is normally a lot different from the baseball hot beds in the south and west.

It’s not as hard to get notice but its a bit different. You have to goto showcases for scouts to see you more. Word of mouth and playing travel ball helps. My first high school game my senior year, it was something like 36 degrees and there was about a dozen scouts there. They come but you just don’t get seen as much.

5. What pitches to you throw? Scouting report?

I throw a fastball, change-up,  and curveball. My strikeout pitch would have to be my change-up. I am a big command guy. I can get the fastball up there to about 90-91. The curveball is a work in progress but has gotten a lot better lately. I’m working on some mechanical things. Command is a very important part of my game, walking batters is pretty much the worst thing you can do. I just want to locate my pitches and be smart.

6. You made your debut in the GCL in 2012 Overall how did your first professional season go for you?

I pitched in the spring and in extended and then made my debut in the Gulf Coast League. I was shut down for a bit there due to a little bit of tendonitis. They shut me down late in July but I did come back and pitch during the instructionals.

7. What have you done this offseason to prepare for the upcoming season?

I worked out up north and I’ve also been working with our new pitching coordinator Gil Patterson a lot on some mechanical things. We are making sure I am strong and healthy for the 2013 season. I feel like I have made progress this off-season with conditioning and strength. I’ve really worked on things to make sure I don’t get hurt in 2013. I came down to Florida during the second week in January and I feel great and ready to go. I’ve been throwing some bullpens and I’m ready to go for spring training which starts for me March 2nd.

A Few For Fun

1. Who was your favorite player growing up?

I was a big Roger Clemens fan, I know Roger personally, we have got to play some golf together. Between him and Andy Pettite I thought they were the best pitching combination to watch.

2. Who is your favorite non-baseball athlete?

I am a very big fan of Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks, I’m a big Canuck fan.

3. How did you become a Canuck fan?

When the Sedin brothers got drafted and got to the Canucks I just thought it was a great story.  I also had the chance to watch Cory Schneider play while he was at Boston College. They have unbelievable goalies in Luongo and Schneider. I just started to watch all their games. I got the NHL gamecast and watched them and saw them live a couple of times in Boston. They are a tough team. The Canucks can taunt you and taunt you to death and then kill you on the power play.

4. Who will be playing for Lord Stanley this season and who will win the Stanley Cup?

This is I think it will be the Ducks and Blues in the west and in the east I think it will be the Rangers and Penguins. I think it will be the Ducks and Penguins in the finals and I think the Penguins will win in 6 games.

A special thanks to Jordan Cote for not only taking some time out  to answer some questions but for the great hockey talk. We look forward to following him all season long and into the future. Please give Jordan a follow on twitter @JordanCote603 talk some baseball or hockey with him! Please like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter @CTD_Sypien as we continue to feature and follow all of our featured players as they chase their way to the major leagues.