DENVER —
Chris Paddack reads books about Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He listens to podcasts by former Navy SEAL David Goggins. He made Pete Alonso a rival when he had met him once in passing and really liked him.
When that glove is over his face on the mound, he might be yelling at himself about focusing or gently reminding himself how good he is or going through any number of incantations about focusing.
Paddack can make something out of nothing when it comes to finding motivation.
This is something.
“I want to see how my game compares against two MVPs, guys who have been in the playoffs,” Paddack said of 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts and 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger.