Even if he doesn’t return my emails, I can’t deny that Joe Posnanski is a pretty incredible sportswriter—and in his swan song for the Kansas City Star, he’s written an ode to Royals unheralded prospect, submariner (and blogger) Chris “Disco” Hayes.

“Disco”—so named because his velocity sits in the 70s (his fastball tops out at 78 mph)—simply keeps getting hitters out, despite having what most baseball people feel is thoroughly unimpressive-looking stuff.

Disco is a smart guy — a Northwestern grad with a computer science degree. He understands why people may think that an undrafted pitcher who throws sidearm fastballs at 78 mph isn’t a big-league prospect. He sympathizes with those people. Hey, if Disco didn’t know better, he might think the same thing. But he does know better.

“I can’t really explain it,” he says, and while he’s talking, he and his wife, Tracy, hold hands. “I’ve just always believed in my ability to pitch.”

“We know we’re going to have a long career in the big leagues,” Tracy says.

It’s a pretty remarkable tale of stupendously misplaced self-belief—but stupendously misplaced self-belief with a bit of magic. It actually seems to be working. Hayes has succeeded at every level so far. He sports a career 2.46 ERA in 314 minor league innings, posting 203 strikeouts to just 65 walks. “I would love it if they would take all the relievers who throw 95 mph and put them in one group. And then take all the relievers who throw submarine style like I do and put them in another. And then compare their ERAs. I wonder what that would show,” he says.