From Hank’s Yanks to Hank’s Haters.
Grand Street Campus centerfielder Williams Jerez, a 6-foot-4 prospect who credited his development to the experience he garnered playing for the summer team sponsored by Hank Steinbrenner, joined the enemy on Tuesday.
The Boston Red Sox took Jerez in the second round (81st overall) of the MLB First-Year Player Draft – seven picks before the Yankees’ next choice – making him the city’s highest selection directly out of high school in 15 years. In 1996, Tottenville pitcher Jason Marquis was chosen in the supplemental section of the first round (35) by the Atlanta Braves and last year George Washington shortstop Mike Antonio went to the Kansas City Royals in the third round.
“I feel proud,” he told The Post through a translator. “A lot of kids dream about this opportunity and my dream has come true.”
Jerez migrated to New York City from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic two years ago for a better opportunity as a baseball player and student. He hooked up with Hank’s Yanks last summer and his stock shot up after a series of impressive performances in showcases.
He followed that up with a memorable senior year at Grand Street, helping the Wolves reach the PSAL Class A semifinals by hitting .692 with five home runs, 32 RBIs and 26 stolen bases during the regular season.
“He’s 100 percent better than what he was a year ago and there’s no reason he can’t be 100 percent better at this time next year, too,” one Major League scout familiar with Jerez said.
Jerez opened Red Sox eyes during a personal workout at Fenway Park last Thursday in which general manager Theo Epstein was present. Boston scouting director Amiel Sawday attended the Scout Showcase in Brooklyn to see Jerez on May 23, an event that spotlights the area’s top prospects.
Ironically, Jerez said he grew up a Red Sox fan rooting for David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez. Now, he can join Ortiz. Jerez has drawn to comparisons to Carlos Beltran because of his plus power, easy gait with long strides and scouts say he could develop into a five-tool player at the next level.
Jerez was in his final class of the day when a friend called him, breaking the news. Smiling broadly, he closed his notebook and asked his teacher if he could be excused. Soon, his phone was flooded with calls and text messages.
“I was so happy,” he said. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”
The circumstances surrounding his selection are vastly different than Dellin Betances, the last Grand Street player taken in the draft. Picked by the Yankees in the eighth round in 2006, Betances had hopes to go in the first round. Jerez, by contrast, was hoping he would be taken in the top five.
“It’s absolutely priceless,” said Wolves coach Melvin Martinez, who picked up Jerez from school and took him to his Greenpoint home to meet up with the team’s other coaches and his father. En route, Betances called to congratulate Jerez. Martinez had one request for his former star, who is presently at Double-A Trenton.
“Make sure you don’t hit Willie in the ribs if you face him at Yankee Stadium,” the coach joked.
It was a joyous day for everyone involved with the Grand Street baseball program despite last weekend’s sweep at the hands of defending champion Tottenville in the PSAL Class A semifinals.
Jerez’s work ethic stood out this spring, which he said he got from playing with Hank’s Yanks, as much as his versatile tools.
He played up to 65 games during the summer and was given opportunities to showcase his ability in front of scouts. He also played several times at Yankee Stadium and George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, meeting Yankee players such as Mariano Rivera and Robinson Cano and spending time with Steinbrenner. His pregame regimen included 300 dry swings, running laps, extra batting practice and soft toss.
“Some players would ask him why are you working so hard and he’d tell them I’m looking to go beyond this,” Martinez said. “The last player I had that worked as hard as him was Dellin Betances.”
There were reported concerns about Jerez’s age – he contends he turned 19 on May 16– but those weren’t an issue on Tuesday. Martinez said the family gave its birth certificate records along with his passport and a permanent residency card to Major League Baseball’s commissioner’s office and they were approved.
“People were talking without having any knowledge about it,” Jerez said. “The truth is, I’m my age and nothing will change that.”
It was thought the Yankees were intent on taking Jerez early on. They had scouts follow Jerez around much of the spring and have shown a penchant for taking city standouts in years past, such as Norman Thomas’ Mariel Checo and Betances.
Jerez, who has committed to San Jacinto College (Texas) but is likely to sign, was thrilled just to be taken so high. So was Ray Negron, his coach with Hank’s Yanks and a senior advisor with the Bronx Bombers.
“I’ll be rooting for him to make it to the major leagues,” Negron said. “But I’m a Yankee fan. So if [he does make it and faces the Yankees] I’ll have to root for whoever is pitching that day to strike him out.”