Last Sunday’s Scout’s Scrimmage, an annual showcase in front of several Major League Baseball scouts at American Legion in Brooklyn, featured the city’s top high school baseball prospects. There was one notable absence – Grand Street Campus senior Ernesto Lopez, arguably the best offensive player in the five boroughs.
“It’s crazy,” Grand Street coach Melvin Martinez said. “He’s a triple-crown candidate.”
Lopez, indeed, is leading PSAL Class A with 26 RBI and five home runs and is second with a .625 batting average for Grand Street, which has repeated as Brooklyn A East champions. Yet he is still often overshadowed by the Wolves’ Maryland-bound stars Jose Cuas and Kevin Martir, not to mention speedy junior center fielder Basael (Ralphy) McDonald.
Instead of letting it get to him, Lopez takes out his frustrations on the field, in pre- and post-game workouts.
“I use it at motivation,” the Louisiana State University-Eunice-bound senior said. “I would’ve loved to be there, but I don’t let it bother me. I just keep playing, prove to everybody what I can do.”
He’s done it all this spring at the plate by being more patient and relying on his quick wrists. His power numbers have increased as a result – pitchers have been forced to come to him because he won’t chase pitches out of the strike zone. Martinez considered Lopez his MVP, quite a compliment considering Cuas, Martir and McDonald have all produced consistently.
“He’s definitely the No. 1 offensive player in New York City,” Martinez said. “When people play Grand Street Campus, they’re throwing their best players at us and he’s just mashing everybody. The numbers and stats he’s putting up, those are numbers you can only get playing video games.”
His success this spring began last summer, when he played with the summer program Hank’s Yanks and continued during the offseason. Every day he hit in a park nearby his Bushwick home. There were times in the rain and the snow he was out there, hitting off of a tee or taking dry swings.
“When I was hitting I was always thinking other people are at home right now and I’m getting my work in,” he said. “Last year I wasn’t like that, but now that I’m getting older and looking at my future, I don’t want to fail. I want to be better than I was yesterday.”
Remarkably, Lopez’s big year has included some upheaval. Grand Street’s starting catcher his entire career, he has split time behind the plate with Martir, who transferred into the PSAL dynamo this fall. Lopez has spent a lot of time recently either at designated hitter or third base because of a sore arm.
“As long as I’m playing in the field, hitting, I don’t mind,” he said. “I’ll do anything to contribute.”
Martir’s arrival, in fact, pushed Lopez to work even harder.
“I’m just glad I had a great year, but it’s not over,” he said. “We still have the playoffs and the championship game.”
Reminded Grand Street has never reached the finals under Martinez, and has a lot of work to do to get there, the humble Lopez retraced his statement, somewhat.
“That’s where I’m hoping to get to,” he said.