When the COVID-19 pandemic put the world on hold in 2020, Justin Garza began to consider quitting baseball. 

The right-handed pitcher had been stuck in Single-A for three seasons, struggling to stay healthy, with his confidence dwindling. 

But as he took time for himself away from the field, an unlikely hobby helped the reliever get his career back on track: video games. 

“ ‘MLB The Show’ actually was a big part about me learning how to pitch and figuring out how to pitch,” said Garza, whom the Mets acquired from the Giants Saturday. “It’s so realistic at times, just playing that video game.”