When Theo Swafford is not playing baseball, you surely can find him reviewing his batting average and on-base percentage stats.
In his second year at the Hank Aaron Invitational, the sophomore shortstop who attends Sierra Canyon School in California, said the experience is important to help him be a well-rounded player.
“It’s very important to have a career after baseball, too, because baseball only lasts so long. Being smart in school is a good thing to have another tool,” he said.
To the young generation, Hank Aaron’s legacy serves as an inspiration to develop their skills on and off the field at one of MLB’s initiatives named after him. The event, which takes place in Vero Beach, Fla., from July 20-28, aims to get high school-age players from diverse backgrounds to the next levels of the game as well as prepare them for a collegiate career.
From attending study sessions during last year’s Breakthrough Series, driving an hour to get to campus and being part of the HAI, Swafford acknowledges the importance of playing while excelling in the classroom.
“In baseball, everyone says there are five tools, but I really think that having a sixth tool is really important: having education and being intelligent,” Swafford said.
Like Swafford, Evan Ogwezi, a right-handed pitcher and an outfielder who also likes math, shares the vision of having a professional career along with baseball.
“Being well-rounded starts in the classroom. You’re going there to pay attention to the teachers, give them your respect and time,” Ogwezi said. “That’s my mindset.”
As one of the players with the highest GPAs participating in the HAI, Ogwezi gives his parents their flowers for reminding him that grades come first, in order to play the sport.
All invitees -- Ogwezi included -- have been under the eye of college scouts in hopes of finding additions to their rosters.
“They’re looking for something different about you. They’re looking for the next guy,” Ogwezi said. “There are a lot of good players out here, they’re trying to get that different person who can bring that impact to the team.”
Isaiah Cador, a second baseman and a returning player to this event, said it is relevant to have a backup plan in case baseball does not work.
“Having a solid foundation of academics really helps me in all aspects of my life, just setting the standard for the bare minimum,” Cador said.
He was recently awarded the Rob “Peach” Picciolo Award, a recognition given to athletes who demonstrate great sportsmanship on and off the field.
Fortunately, these top athletes from all across the country are not walking the trail alone. At the Hank Aaron Invitational, they have found coaches and mentors who are rooting for them.
“These players are talented; that’s the reason why they are here,” said Kindu Jones, MLB’s manager of baseball development. “Them having the academics, them having the character, those play a pivotal role in the process as well of them being here.”
For players of the classes of 2028 and ‘29, this is an opportunity to become leaders and inspire the next generation.
“The ones who are returning, they’re the ones leading the way. We’re asking them to lead the way, not just with their performance on the field but off the field as well,” Jones said. “We’re asking the guys that are here for the first time to just go right behind them and follow them.”
From Week 2 of the HAI, 44 players will be selected to take part in an exhibition game at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday.