Based on Tracker season 2, episode 3, “Bloodlines,” Justin Hartley is a man of many talents, one of which is obviously baseball. Hartley is the executive producer and star of Colter Shaw in the action-drama television series created by Ben H. Winters and adapted from the 2019 book The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver. CBS’s hit show Tracker centers around Colter, a survivalist and expert tracker (as the show’s title suggests). The titular character uses his impressive skill set to assist law enforcement and private citizens across the country in exchange for reward money. Colter’s job requires him to wear many hats, as finding people, animals, and other things isn’t easy, and Hartley’s character has to be adaptable. By the end of Tracker season 1, it’s clear to viewers that Colter is quite talented. However, he continued to surprise audiences in season 2. Notably, fans learned in Tracker season 2, episode 3 that Colter was quite good at baseball, leading many to wonder if Hartley played baseball in real life.
Justin Hartley played baseball in high school, along with other sports. Justin Hartley’s Colter helps Billie solve a case in Tracker season 2, episode 3, involving a missing high school baseball player, Eric Dobbs. Eventually, (spoiler alert) they rescue the teenager. At the end of the hour, Colter joins Eric and his father in a game of catch, impressing them with his strong pitching arm. When asked about his baseball experience, Colter reveals that he wanted to play as a kid, but his father wouldn’t let him. However, in real life, Hartley played and (as the Tracker episode suggests) was quite good at it.
Hartley may have been the one who convinced the writers of Tracker to include baseball in season 2, episode 3. According to Justin Hartley’s official website, the actor played multiple sports in high school, including baseball, basketball, and football. An injury reportedly made him rethink his future, leading him to pursue an acting career. After graduating from Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), Hartley studied history and theater at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Despite dropping out of high school baseball, Tracker season 2 star Justin Hartley didn’t give up on the sport. Instead, Hartley’s love of baseball continues to this day. While chatting with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on Live with Kelly and Mark in October 2024, Hartley explained that he and his wife, Sofia Pernas (who plays Billie Matalon on Tracker), frequently take trips to MLB parks.
Although the trip wasn’t originally planned to be to a baseball field, Hartley and Pernas tried to find parks they hadn’t been to before. Together, they went to Citi Field (New York Mets), Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox), Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers), Truist Park (Atlanta Braves), Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs), and more. So, maybe Hartley was the one who convinced the writers of Tracker to include baseball in season 2, episode 3.
