Having only been in professional baseball for three years, Dakota Hawkins has picked up plenty of insights in his time grinding through the minor leagues.
Not everything will be perfect and outside variables can’t be controlled.
“You got to brush it off,” Hawkins said bluntly.
For the former W.F. West High School ace and pitcher in the New York Mets organization, he’s already re-establishing himself as a prospect to watch. Going from a starter to reliever is the primary factor.
The other?
He’s been better.
Hawkins went through the months of June and July allowing just one earned run, 11 hits and amassing 23 strikeouts in between the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones and Triple-A Syracuse Mets. The right-hander also only walked four batters in the 10 total appearances.
“Going up to Triple-A and doing well was a big confidence booster,” Hawkins said. “If it works against those guys, it can work here. Carried that confidence into Brooklyn games.”
From the Atlantic Ocean shores in Brooklyn through Pennsylvania and into the northern part of New York, it’s just over a four-and-a-half hour trek to Syracuse.
With the Mets deploring a handful of arms prior to the trade deadline – where they acquired a pair of arms to shore up the back end behind closer Edwin Díaz – they were needing guys in Syracuse to come up and give some innings.
The domino effect ensued and Hawkins was in the thick of it.
His first call-up came on June 21, the same night Brooklyn clinched the first-half division title, which automatically puts them in the postseason.
“Get the call at 10:30 at night. Syracuse needs some arms and I was like ‘Oh sweet, this is cool,’” Hawkins said. “Knowing it was a weekend thing, I knew I was going up to cover innings for them. Being able to go up there, throw a couple innings, it was cool to get my first real taste of Triple-A.”
It wouldn’t be his last.
His mom, dad, sister and wife were all in town to watch him pitch for Brooklyn on July 4 weekend. When he got word on July 5 he was going back up to Syracuse, he was more than happy to have his support staff tag along.
“Fourth of July out on Coney Island, they like to do it big,” Hawkins said. “That was pretty special.”
His second year as a pro, Hawkins started 11 games in between High-A and Double-A. But he admitted the plan entering 2025 was for him to transition to the bullpen.
While at the Mets’ complex in Florida, he got some run in with the big leaguers. He threw just over an inning in two appearances.
“Being able to do that, it was cool and nice to know my stuff worked against big league hitters,” Hawkins said. “Whether I’m starting or coming out of the pen, it doesn’t matter.”
On the year, he’s 3-3 with a 2.54 ERA and opponents are hitting .199 against him. He’s struck out 44 batters to just 11 walks.
“I try to throw the ball as hard as I can wherever the catcher tells me to put it,” Hawkins said.
He’s gotten to one step away from the majors two times, but he’s come back to High-A both instances. Still, he feels the ability to pitch at Citi Field is more attainable now that he’s a reliever.
“Every organization is different, (New York) uses quite a bit of relievers,” Hawkins stated. “Being able to prepare like you (usually do), it’ll make things a lot easier down the road.”
To this day, he still gets texts from old coaches, teammates and teachers from his days in Chehalis.
Hawkins may be on the other side of the country, but his heart still remains strong with Southwest Washington.
“I can’t forget people in Lewis County,” he said.
