One of Lexington County’s own has made the big leagues. 

After six seasons in the minor leagues, former Dutch Fork star TJ Shook is finally getting his shot at Major League ball.

Shook made his MLB debut Tuesday during the Colorado Rockies' 8-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels. 

He came on and pitched the eighth inning, getting all three outs with just one hit, no walks and no runs. 

“I was so nervous leading up to actually getting into the game,” Shook told a reporter for MLB.com during postgame. “Super thankful, man, grateful to be here. It’s an amazing opportunity. It’s going to change my life.”

Shook was on the mound again in Wedesday night's rematch. The Rockies lost, but Shook did well in his inning of work.

He threw nothing but strikes, giving up no hits, runs or walks. 

Leading up to his debut, Shook spent the early part of the season in AAA ball, playing for the Albuquerque Isotopes. He had the second-most appearances on the mound this season and was the team’s regular closer before being called up. 

Shook is in his first season with the Rockies program after coming over from the Mets. He was taken by Colorado in the Triple-A portion of last year’s Rule 5 draft.

With the Mets, Shook spent most of his time on the team’s Double-A affiliate in Binghamton. 

Shook started his minor league career in the Brewers system after they picked him up from the undrafted players pool in 2020. 

He spent four seasons playing college ball at South Carolina, from 2017-2020. In that time, he made 41 appearances and had a 3.04 ERA. 

Shook is the 61st Gamecock to earn the call to the Major Leagues. He is the first since Carlos Cortes in July 2025. Shook and Cortes played together on South Carolina’s 2018 Super Regional team.

Before arriving at USC, Shook was a standout at Dutch Fork. He earned two All-State selections and was named the 2015 4A Region-4 Player of the Year. 

After helping the Rockies take down the Angels, Shook took the time to shout out everyone who got him here. 

“Thank you, everybody. All my fans, coaches, former teammates. It’s just been an amazing ride for me,” Shook said. “I can say nothing but thank you. Just so blessed to have the support system I have.”