Baseball players are among the most superstitious athletes on the planet. If they are doing well, they will wear the same clothes, eat the same food, whatever it takes to keep the good luck flowing. But using a toy dinosaur as a good luck charm?
That’s right. UCLA Bruins pitcher Angel Cervantes always takes a toy dinosaur named Jerry to the mound with him when he pitches. And so far for the freshman, Jerry has come through for him.
Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2nd round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Earl Warren High School in Downey, Calif., Cervantes opted instead to go to college.
“From the moment I got that first text from Coach [John] Savage, it just felt special,” Cervantes told World Baseball Network in January. “When I was little, I took a field trip to UCLA. I remember seeing the bear statue for the first time. Ever since then, it just felt like home. When Coach Savage told me he wanted me to be a Bruin, I already knew I wanted the same. I’m big on family and positive energy, and UCLA felt like the perfect fit.”
It’s a decision that has worked out pretty well for him. In 18 games this season, the 18-year-old has made 14 starts, posted a 3.86 ERA in 44-1/3 innings and is 4-1 for a Bruins squad that is ranked number one in the nation and gone 51-6 on the year.
“He’s just my little guy that’s just hanging out with me. Sometimes when I look down, I put my hand on my lid, I like to take two breaths and that’s what I’m looking at the whole time. He calms me down,” Cervantes told College Baseball Central. “I know it might sound, like, childish, but I mean, whatever works for you and that’s what works for me. So he’s going to be here for a long time.”
How did Jerry the dinosaur become Angel Cervantes’ mound companion?
“He’s kind of my spiritual animal,” Angel Cervantes told World Baseball Network. “My senior year of high school, I had a photography class and needed a subject. So, I started taking pictures of him. Eventually, I started putting him next to me on the mound – right behind the rubber.”
And when Jerry the dinosaur isn’t on the mound with Cervantes, where does he go? Right into the freshman pitcher’s pocket, so he is always close at hand.