Perseverance Pays Off: Miami Hurricanes Alum Brian Van Belle finally makes it to the big leagues with the Boston Red Sox

The road to the Major Leagues typically isn’t as easy as being a college star and then learning a couple of things for a year or two in the minors before getting your spot in the Big Leagues.

Hard work and perseverance with a good dose of talent usually pays off.

And that’s the path former Miami Hurricanes pitcher Brian Van Belle followed.

To an extreme.

Because after a solid showing at UM he toiled in the minors for four years. Van Belle started out in High-A ball in 2021 before working his way through the minors to AAA play with the Red Sox’s Worcester team the last two years. He had a 4.42 ERA in 2024 but this year starred for the minor league team with 12 appearances (eight starts), a 5–1 record and 2.29 ERA over 51 innings pitched, striking out 41 and maintaining a 1.06 WHIP. His last performance on June 4 was impressive as he tossed seven innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts in a dominant 9-1 win over the Rochester Red Wings.

His strong start to the eyar paid off with a call up to the Majors for the 28-year-old on June 9.

No, that’s not a misprint.

He’s 28.

And, now, a Major League rookie.

“When I was in Worcester I was slated to start in Lehigh Valley on Tuesday (June 10),” the Pembroke Pines, Fla., native told CaneSport. “Monday was our travel day, I was heading to the field and as soon as I locked my apartment door, my phone started ringing and it was my manager, Chad Tracy. I answered and he says `I’m not at the field right now or I’d tell you this in person, wish I was at the field to tell you this and give you a big hug – you’re going to be wearing a Boston Red Sox jersey tonight! I was in complete excitement and shock.”

It’s been a long road to this point for Van Belle, of course, and he had a 5.31 combined ERA in 2022 and 4.46 ERA in 2023 in the minors.

“There were tough times full of failure, plenty of games where I absolutely got rocked and called my family and wife after the game, said `I’m about to get released,’” Van Belle said. “And there have been plenty of highs the last month, I’ve been on a good run in AAA.”

So what has clicked now?

“I attack the strike zone with four pitches, and I stuck to my guns,” Van Belle said. “I’d always thrown the same pitches my whole career but added in a cutter in 2022 and last year added in a sweeper, got rid of my curveball. But last year’s biggest change was after the start of the season in AAA, the first six weeks I was throwing my natural arm slot, high three-quarters, added in a sinker and sweeper but the metrics on them weren’t very good. I had terrible stats the first six weeks in the rotation, so they put me on the development list, said `What do you think about dropping your arm slot a little bit to get better sink, better sweep on those two pitches?’ So I literally had an 8.00 ERA – they could have said `You’re playing terrible, just go home.’ They could have done that, but gave me a chance because they knew I throw strikes and am a competitor. I took it like that, gave it a shot, started throwing super athletic, second baseman-like turning a double play for the next two weeks every day. I’m 10 degrees lower than what I was naturally last year. It made my changeup better, more depth – it’s always been my best pitch, but just dropping the slot made it look sometimes like a lefty curveball almost.”

Through all the ups and downs, Miami’s kept a special place in his heart. And yes, he followed the Canes’ oh-so-close brush with Omaha this year. His pitching coach at UM was now-head coach J.D. Arteaga.

“I always keep in touch with him, work out at the school every off-season (other than this past one because he played winter ball in Puerto Rico),” Van Belle said. “We talk on the phone, catch up, and he went to my wedding in January. He’s a special person in my life – incredible mentor, leader, and he fought for me hard during my time there. I came in as a JUCO transfer, was competing for the rotation and Gino (DiMare) told me when I earned the Sunday job in 2019 that J.D. was the reason I got that job, that J.D. told him I’m a competitor, that I can pitch and I should have that (weekend role). I took that opportunity and ran with it. All the gratefulness goes to J.D. for teaching me everything at Miami, from the mental aspect to flat out pitching.

“I called him the day I got called up on Monday, let him know I’m thankful for him and to add another name to the J.D. products on the Major League list.”

Miami isn’t exactly a recent stop for the 6-3, 185-pounder.

It was back in 2020 that Van Belle ended his Miami career in a season shortened by COVID, finishing with a 2-0 record and 0.68 ERA in four starts. The prior season he finished with a 10-2 record and 3.30 ERA while striking out 84 in 95.1 innings.

Van Belle never saw anything past regionals, losing in the Mississippi State regional in 2019.

Prior to UM he spent three seasons at Broward College, missing the first two with Tommy John surgery.

So yeah, that helped ingrain in Van Belle to always work, never give up on your dreams.

“I had a late start to pro ball, signed at 23, it’s not your typical 18-year-old leaving high school, playing three years in college and getting drafted at 21,” he said.

Van Belle is the 70th University of Miami baseball program player to reach the Major Leagues.

Now he wants to make it count.

So keep your eyes out for when No. 77 goes to the mound in his long relief role for the Red Sox.

“To me it’s just about trusting the process,” Van Belle said. “You never know when your last day is going to be playing this game. So it was always about controlling my attitude and effort, which is something J.D. talked about a lot at Miami as well. It’s about going out and leaving no stone unturned so that whenever my career does end I can always look back and have no regrets, know I gave it all I had.”