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Mahoning Valley Scrappers infielder Jayden Hylton has a message for young baseball players who are just beginning their journey into organized sports.
"Listen to your coaches, ask questions, pay attention and learn the game," Hylton said. "I know when you're a kid you don't really understand, or you don't really see what they're trying to sell you, but trust the process.
"Looking back, all the coaches I had over the years were very influential in my life. That includes right up to the coaches I have here today. You don't always understand their message in the moment, but in my case, I look back, and it all makes sense. Those coaches were a very important part of my life."
Hylton has already experienced quite a baseball journey.
For the first 16 years of his life, Hylton called New Jersey home until his family moved to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., before the start of his junior year of high school.
Hylton acknowledged the move posed some challenges.
"All of a sudden the competition was kicked up a lot of notches," Hylton said. "Playing in the north wasn't easy or anything like that, but in Florida all of a sudden kids were throwing harder, hitting the ball further and more advanced on defense.
"In Florida, baseball is an everyday thing. No matter the season, you're always playing or practicing. In New Jersey, once it turned cold, baseball players moved onto football and then basketball."
In fact, Hylton played football when he was younger. He was a big, stout lineman. He played basketball through his sophomore year in high school.
"I couldn't shoot to save my life," Hylton said. "I was just the big man in the middle there to get rebounds. In the back of my mind I always knew my sport was baseball, so entering my junior year of high school I decided to dedicate all my time on the baseball diamond, which was suddenly easy to do in Florida."
The decision paid instant dividends. By the time he completed his junior year, Hylton was named to the 2021 Team USA U-18 team. He was teamed up with the best high school players in the country.
Typically, Team USA would have competed in tournaments throughout the United States and into other countries. However, because of the COVID pandemic, the team was limited to playing just seven games - all in Florida and all against Team Canada.
The experience still left a lasting impression.
"It was a fantastic experience, and it made me a much better all-around player. I loved every minute of it," Hylton said. "I got to work with all different types of amazing coaches; they all had their different ideas and different styles. I asked a ton of questions. I felt like I was learning something new every day. I just took it all in, and I had a blast with my teammates."
Hylton followed that up with a sensational senior season in which he batted .438 with 40 runs and 22 RBI.
Hylton spent the last four years at Stetson University, where he played in 199 games with the Hatters while studying business administration. He joined the Scrappers for the start of the second half of the season and has shined in the MLB Draft League. In eight games, he is hitting .407 with five RBI.
"I love it here; this is what I was looking for," Hylton said. "Pitchers are throwing hard, the competition is strong, and once again I have some great coaches here who have been able to provide some great guidance because of their experience."
Hylton said he hopes to use his business degree one day to perhaps follow a family tradition.
"My family is big into real estate, my cousins, my aunt and uncle, and it's something that I'm interested in," Hylton said. "Hopefully, though, that's somewhere long down the road when my baseball career is finished."