Photo by: Cristina Byrne-Sternberg/Rocket City Trash Pandas

By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com

September 22nd, 2022

It has been quite a season for Chase Silseth as he made his major league debut less than a year after being drafted by the Angels in the 11th round of the 2021 amateur draft and he was a significant contributor in the Trash Pandas first ever (combined) no-hitter where he spun seven hitless innings against Biloxi (on 9/3). Silseth also won two Southern Player of the Week Awards and ended the season with a shiny 2.28 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 11.93 K/9, fanning 110 batters over 83 innings of work in 2022. 

Here's a look back Chase Silseth's impressive major league debut against the Athletics on May 13th in Oakland where he went 6 shutout innings, allowing just one hit striking out 4. 

 

Here's a mix tape of Chase Silseth's greatest hits in 2022, where his filthy arsenal was on full display in both Double-A and in the Major League this season.

In our interview with Chase you learn about his time with the Angels, being part of the Trash Panda's combined no-hitter, his pitching arsenal, what he needs to work on to become a successful major league starting pitcher, who he models his game after on the mound and also get to know the Angels right-hander on a more personal level on the lighter side of things.

Click on the video below to watch our entire interview with the Angels top RHP pitching prospect, Chase Silseth. 

Here is the complete interview transcript below. 

AngelsWin.com: Chuck Richter from AngelsWin.com. We got Chase Silseth. Chase, how’re you doing today?

Chase Silseth: Phenomenal. How are you doing?

AngelsWin.com: Great. Great. So, first off, how exciting is it to be a part of this Rockey City Trash Panda club that’s going to the playoffs, and just everything that has happened this year?

Chase Silseth: It’s great; It feels great to feel to be a part of this team. You know, with the work that we put in, it’s obviously reflected on, you know, our perseverance that we have, you know, done. But, yeah. It feels phenomenal to be able to just to be in those playoffs. We’re here so might as well just win them all.

AngelsWin.com: Yeah. So, I know it’s been about a year, but what was Draft Day like for you?

Chase Silseth: So, Draft Day, obviously, I didn’t think I was going to go Day 1. I’d hoped, you know, obviously. But I didn’t think so. So, I thought I was going to go Day 2. There was some talks with a couple teams, and I thought it was going to happen. But then it didn’t happen. Ended up, you know, they had to go with someone else. And…

AngelsWin.com: So, the Angels were, kind of, a surprise for you when they picked you?

Chase Silseth: A little bit; a little bit, you know? Then I just went into Day 3, you know? At that point, everything was a surprise to me, because, you know, for me, I didn’t think I was going to go Day 3, but there was just calls from teams saying, you know, would I go for this, or this, or this—

AngelsWin.com: Yeah.

Chase Silseth: —and just wasn’t the ones that I was looking for, so the Angels took me and, you know, threw an offer and thought about it and—

AngelsWin.com: [laugh] So, tell us what it was like to get promoted to the big leagues, and just your first full season in professional ball, and what was that experience like for you?

Chase Silseth: Oh, I mean, it’s everyone’s dream—

AngelsWin.com: Dream, right.

Chase Silseth: —to go out there and be there. And, you know, to get a taste of that, you know, experience that was awesome. We’re talking to some guys up there, learning from some guys, and, you know, taking it and just got my feet wet, hopefully, be back there. Know what it, kind of, takes to, kind of, be there a little bit, you know, but—

AngelsWin.com: Anybody, kind of, take you under their wing when you’re there, any of the pitchers there, or…

Chase Silseth: I feel like, you know, everybody, kind of, was. I was, kind of, talking to everybody, question, you know? Just asking questions and trying to learn as much as I could, because that’s what this game is. You, kind of, want to learn and then grow as fast as you can before your age, you know, just, kind of, allows you to keep, you know, declining. So, you want to, kind of, meet this experience level before you start, kind of, coming down too much. But, just trying to learn as fast as I can and experience because this is my first full year, and I’m trying to take in a lot quick—

AngelsWin.com: It’s a lot to process.

Chase Silseth: —and be there for the rest of the time, hopefully.

AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Do you think that there’s any learning experiences that you learn from your time in the big leagues, and then coming back here? What is your biggest take-away from that experience?

Chase Silseth: Because normally, you can’t mis-watch the Dodgers?

AngelsWin.com: [laugh]

Chase Silseth: And you know, yeah, just being competitive, you know? Being able—up there was, kind of, not being able to hold my stuff through five incomplete innings. That’s what—So, I took, when I came back down here, was to make sure I can, you know, hold my stuff five, six, seven innings. Up there, just, kind of, when I hit the third or fourth, it was—you know, my normal 95 to 97 to 91, 93, sometimes bored. You know, I probably could pitch at that, but I would have to be a little bit more perfect in that way. And I’m a guy that just goes out there and not trying to think, just, kind of, throwing it through a quadrant of a zone, not just trying to be, like, you know, a fine line. So, just being able to hold my stuff was the experience that I, kind of, took away. And I’ve learned more.

AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Are you, kind of, left to your own devices in terms of, like, workout, diet, you know, pitching mechanics. Or does the organization have a plan for you?

Chase Silseth: They have a plan. They tell us, kind of, what they want, you know, with that. So, we, kind of, follow them. Diet’s on our own. And yeah, pitching mechanics are on our own, for the most part, unless they see something we—you know, to fix and, kind of, help to make us better. And if we make that fix, it does good. And we just, kind of, go out there and try to keep it up.

AngelsWin.com: So, you throw a fastball velo, what? Tops out at what, 96, 90…

Chase Silseth: I topped out at 99.

AngelsWin.com: 99, is that right.

Chase Silseth: Yes.

AngelsWin.com: This year?

Chase Silseth: Yes.

AngelsWin.com: Okay, wow. And so, and the splitter is, kind of, your secondary. That’s, kind of, like, your out-pitch, right, slider?

Chase Silseth: It just depends.

AngelsWin.com: Changeup, yeah.

Chase Silseth: Split or slider one of the days or most—

AngelsWin.com: Any pitches that you’re working on that you’re trying to add to your repertoire?

Chase Silseth: I got five and five is plenty.

AngelsWin.com: [laugh] Yeah. Unless you’re Ohtani, right? Then you can just invent a new pitch during the [laugh]… yeah. So, what will Angel fans come to learn about you, the player and the person?

Chase Silseth: I’m just a competitor. I’m going to go out there and just try to give my team a chance to win every time, every game. That’s my plan going forward. So, know every time I go out there and pitch is to give the team a chance to win, you know? Just want to win.

AngelsWin.com: Yeah. What’s your most memorable game to date, you know, college, professional ball, big leagues? It’s got to be the major-league debut, right?

Chase Silseth: Major-league debut for sure. That was—

AngelsWin.com: [laugh] Or the combined no-hitter here, right?

Chase Silseth: Combined no-hitter was fantastic, too. But no, that’s—obviously, you got a no-hitter, but, I mean, making the MLB debut—

AngelsWin.com: That’s a dream. Yeah.

Chase Silseth: —and you go six scoreless there—

AngelsWin.com: That was amazing.

Chase Silseth: —that’s one of the things I’m going to remember for a long time.

AngelsWin.com: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Who’s impressed you the most here in terms of teammate and on the opposing side, like a tough out here in the Southern League?

Chase Silseth: Everybody. Everybody’s good teammates in there. We got a great clubhouse. You know, so I can’t really single anybody out because, you know, it’s been a team effort at this point, keeping each other, you know, going.

AngelsWin.com: You guys got a stacked roster here; it’s just phenomenal. Everybody when I—

Chase Silseth: There’s one thing, you know, is that Neto, too, when he first got here, you know, lit it up. But what, kind of, impressed me the most, was when he got hit, like, four times in his wrist, but he just, kind of, kept going. And, you know, because you’re in pain, and fight through it, and that’s what really impressed me. That’s what got me to like him a lot. You know, it probably doesn’t feel good to get hit in the wrist once, much less, like, three or four times, and fouled off couple off his foot just to be able to just stay in there and grind it out. That got my respect.

AngelsWin.com: Gritty and durability, man—

Chase Silseth: Yes, exactly.

AngelsWin.com: —that goes a long way; I’m telling you. So, when did you first commit to playing baseball? How old where you?

Chase Silseth: About four years old, I started playing T-ball, you know?

AngelsWin.com: [laugh]

Chase Silseth: It’s been long ago, 18 years.

AngelsWin.com: I hear that a lot, four years old. Favorite pitcher, teams growing up?

Chase Silseth: I was a Minnesota Twins fan growing up. My dad is from Minnesota, so just, kind of, growing up watching Minnesota teams. I’m a die-hard Minnesota Vikings—die-hard. And if I had to choose one Minnesota team, it’s the Vikings [unintelligible 00:08:35].

AngelsWin.com: You going to take care of the Eagles on Monday night?

Chase Silseth: I’m hoping; I’m hoping.

AngelsWin.com: [laugh] Let’s hope Mike Trout doesn’t see this interview, huh. [laugh]

Chase Silseth: [laugh] I know, that’s the one thing, but I got it in my soul, baby. [unintelligible 00:08:49].

AngelsWin.com: [laugh] There you go. Who do you model your game after in terms of a professional athlete or big leaguer?

Chase Silseth: I don’t know, maybe, Gullett. You know, also growing up watching games, I, kind of, was watching people, trying to learn from it, much less just try to watch, you know, the baseball game. I was just trying to learn from other people, but, you know, just like that competitive-dog attitude that just wants to win—

AngelsWin.com: Scherzer?

Chase Silseth: —probably Scherzer’s just like that. You know, that’s what I got when I’m up there.

AngelsWin.com: Yeah. It’s good to see that.

Chase Silseth: When I don’t have that and lose that, that’s when I tend to be on the, you know, crabbier side of things, especially when I take it too far, and I’m getting mad after, you know, when something doesn’t go my way instead of having that competitiveness. Just go to the next pitch, just I, kind of, dwell on it, and it, kind of, affect me mentally. That’s one of those things I need to, you know, be better at.

AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Okay, real quick, Lightning Round. Favorite movie?

Chase Silseth: Have to go with Avengers: End Game.

AngelsWin.com: Okay. Good flick. Favorite song or artist?

Chase Silseth: Favorite song. I’m going to have to go Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs.

AngelsWin.com: Okay. Morgan Wallen a lot here. Favorite video game?

Chase Silseth: Call of Duty—

AngelsWin.com: There you go.

Chase Silseth: —[unintelligible 00:10:22]. You—whatever.

AngelsWin.com: [laugh] What’s a perfect day look like for you away from baseball?

Chase Silseth: Perfect day. You know, it, kind of, sucks being—I love to hunt. The perfect day from me is just go out, go out and hunt in the mountains; camping out, friends, family and go out and hunt all day and come back and build a campfire—

AngelsWin.com: Do that back home?

Chase Silseth: Yeah. Sucks—somebody will fall for me—but yeah, I love to hunt.

AngelsWin.com: So, last question. When you’re done playing baseball, have you envisioned what your next career will look like?

Chase Silseth: I’ve not; I’ve not. Just trying to stay seven feet in front of me at all times, you know? Just, what’s next; what’s next; what’s next? You know, a couple of seven feets, here and there, will get me to that point in time, or get me to that point where I’m starting to figure it out. But now, just, kind of, taking it what’s in front of me. Trying to stay on my feet.

AngelsWin.com: Awesome. Chase, thank you so much