Vernon Hills pitcher Robert Miller’s sophomore season ended with elbow surgery, and by the fall, he still hadn’t thrown in a game again.
Nonetheless, Miller had an inkling he was on the cusp of a breakout season.
“It was the first open gym, and I was throwing a bullpen, and my catcher said my slider was disgusting,” he said. “I knew I had worked way harder than anyone else, so that helped me know that I’d do something good this season.”
Miller’s confidence wasn’t misplaced. He has been good. In fact, the 6-foot junior right-hander has often resembled dominant for the Cougars (9-20, 5-9).
Following his five innings of work in Vernon Hills’ 5-4 Central Suburban North loss to Maine West on Tuesday, Miller was 2-1 with 55 strikeouts and just 18 walks over 37 2/3 innings. He would have a sub-2.00 ERA without a rough outing against conference champion Highland Park on May 8.
“There are a lot of things that define Robert, but he’s a gritty baseball junkie,” Vernon Hills coach Pasquale Atteo said. “The dude just loves baseball, and when we put him on the mound, we feel like we’re going to win every game.”
Even Miller’s outing against Highland Park left a positive imprint, showing him, among other things, that there’s a very small margin for error when facing a good lineup.
“My command wasn’t great, and they were really good at fighting off good pitches,” he said. “Looking back, I’m almost happy it happened because it made me realize I’m not invincible. It relit the fire I had inside of me.”
Miller’s competitiveness and work ethic can be contagious. Classmate Zack Porcelius, who is in his first year in the program after transferring from Libertyville, is used to seeing Miller’s car outside the gym bright and early. Miller’s dietary regimen even influenced Porcelius after a December trip to Wisconsin.
“That was my intro to his nutrition plan, and as soon as I got back, I changed my approach,” Porcelius said. “I saw some of the results he got, and I feel a lot more energized.”
Nutrition was only part of Miller’s long road back to the mound after he suffered an avulsion fracture in his right elbow last year. He had surgery in May 2024 after making just two starts for Vernon Hills.
“Two days after surgery, I was in no pain, but then I was in a cast for six weeks and went through physical therapy — slowly,” Miller said.
As soon as his body could handle it, Miller hit the weight room. He also refined his diet, focusing on a heavy dose of potatoes, rice and protein-rich foods, while cutting out a lot of processed foods. He has gained 30 pounds to get to 195.
“In the fall, I didn’t even recognize him,” Atteo said. “He looked like a completely different kid. It was a crazy transformation.”
Miller went to the gym before school started most days and lifted a second time during gym class. He said his offseason work wasn’t even necessarily aimed at gaining velocity, but there was a significant uptick anyway. He said he hit 88 mph at a late-February showcase after being in the 80 mph range last season.
“I was focusing more on managing my workload, and the strength I gained helped my mechanics,” he said.
By the preseason, Miller had become so emboldened by his new routine that his mindset was overtly positive.
“Consistency is big for me, and even though I came into the season with a lot of unknowns, I was really confident, and my competitiveness kicked in,” he said. ”Early in the season, I was still nervous, and what happened last year was still in the back of my mind a little bit. But I got to see that the perseverance paid off.”
One of Miller’s early starts this season came on the same mound at Mountain Dew Park in downstate Marion where he suffered the elbow injury.
“It wasn’t emotional, but I could definitely feel it,” he said. “It was a statement game for me, a way to say, ‘I’m back.’ I pitched five innings and knew I had put my team in good position to win.”
That’s been a recurring theme for Miller and the Cougars this season.
“I’ve been really consistent this year, even at times when I didn’t have all of my pitches working,” Miller said. “It already has me thinking how I can get better.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
