Bronx Native Makes Debut for New York Yankees

In what turned out to be a crazy 8-6 extra innings win on Monday night for the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals, a new shortstop made his debut for the Bronx Bombers. 27 year old, Andrew Velazquez has spent most of the last decade honing his craft in the minor leagues. He was drafted out of high school in 2012 by the Arizona Diamondbacks and broke into the big leagues in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Prior to Monday, Velazquez had amassed a total of 96 Major League at-bats.

Monday night was special for Andrew Velazquez. The high school he was drafted out of was Fordham Prep in the Bronx, a few miles from Yankee Stadium. Dan Martin did a cool article about Velazquez in the New York Post today. According to Martin's article, 'Velazquez whose favorite player was Derek Jeter, said Monday becoming a Yankee was something “I kind of felt I manifested since I was a child.” He often went to games at Yankee Stadium. “It kind of feels like my [MLB] debut again,’’

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It is very cool when kids can see players grow up in their same neighborhoods and go to the big leagues. It makes every little leaguer's dreams become a little more real. That's what baseball is all about.

Martin added in his article in the New York Post that 'Velazquez said, who said after signing with the Yankees this past offseason that he knew he’d play for them someday. “When I was in kindergarten [at St. Francis Xavier], I said I’d play in Yankee Stadium,’’ Velazquez said in January. “I’m gonna bust my ass to get there again.”'

To read Dan Martin's complete article in the New York Post click here.