Every baseball player has a story of what made them fall in love with the game, a player that was their favorite as a kid and the struggle it took to reach the professional level. The story of Los Angeles Dodgers pitching prospect Devin Smeltzer is a bit more unique than most.
Diagnosed with cancer at age 9, the New Jersey native said that as he recovered, playing baseball was one of the few things that gave him a sense of normalcy. That passion for baseball led to him being a part of a meet-and-greet with members of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006 when he was 10 years old.