The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

From the time he started playing in the Junior Baseball League of Nassau, Sebastian Walcott had the notion that he would one day be a professional baseball player.

Considered to be the crown jewel of the Texas Rangers organisation’s 2023 signing class and the “next Jazz Chisholm,” the 17-year-old Walcott is now in the Arizona Complex League where in 147 at-bats, he’s averaging .265 with seven home runs, 21 runs batted in (RBI) and 11 stolen bases with the ACL Rangers.

His performance now has him ranked at number 94 with Baseball America Major League Baseball Pipeline as one of the Top 100 Prospects. He is also pegged at No.42 with The Athletic.

Walcott, who was signed to a minor league contract, said he got his feet wet in the pro ranks at the Dominican Republic Summer League before he was called up to the Arizona League on June 17.

“I’ve been playing well and just been having fun,” said Walcott, who stands at 6-feet, 4-inches and weighs 190 pounds. “I’ve just been enjoying Arizona so far.”

At this point in the game, Walcott said he just wants to stay consistent with his play and he’s been pleased to see his progress.

“When I hit my first home run in my first at-bat, I knew that I was heading towards something great here,” Walcott said.

“It was a sigh of relief because I didn’t hit one in the Dominican Summer League. So it was a big relief.”

Now that he’s established himself, Walcott said he will try to go out each and every day in every game and play the way he was taught from his introduction to the sport at JBLN and eventually the International Elite Academy where he got a hefty signing bonus under the guidance of Geron Sands in January.

“They expect me to continue doing what I’m doing right now,” Walcott said. “They want me to keep on improving offensively and defensively and just stay the same.”

With the league running through the end of August, Walcott said he just wants to finish off strong.

“My disciplined play is something that I really need to focus more on,” he said. “I’ve been chasing a lot of pitches outside of the zone, but lately Î’ve gotten better. I’ve been able to draw a lot more walks, so it’s getting better.”

While there’s not a large crowd of spectators on hand to watch the game, Walcott said the league is very competitive with a lot of polished players participating.

“It’s much more difficult than playing in the Dominican Summer League for sure,” he insisted as he hopes to make an impact on the Texas Rangers’ front office for his future placement.

If he had a choice, Walcott said he would prefer to end up in Class A or low A, at the end of the year.

Wherever he goes, Walcott said he continues to hope to shine with his ultimate goal of becoming the next Bahamian to play in the Major League Baseball.

So far, there’s only Chisholm Jr, who is battling it through a series of injuries with the Miami Marlins. While Chisholm Jr made his breakthrough in 2000, Lucius Fox followed briefly last year with the Washington Nationals.

Prior to both of them getting to the big stage, Antoan Richardson was the last Bahamian to excel with the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees. He’s now a first base coach with the San Francisco Giants.

They followed a list of Bahamians that included Andre Rodgers, Tony Curry, Ed Armbrister, Wenty Ford and Will Culmer, who all played in the MLB.

Although he’s just one of the many young Bahamian players in the pipeline for MLB, Walcott had this advice for them.

“Just keep working hard. don’t ever doubt yourself,” he stated. “If you doubt yourself, you won’t be able to achieve the success you were having, So just continue to believe in yourself. Stay positive, don’t ever get negative or down on yourself.”

His father, Jeff Walcott, who has been a great source of inspiration, said he and his mother have been very proud of his accomplishment after getting a chance to watch him play in the Arizona League.

“For a 17-year-old to be so composed in an environment where the majority of the players are 19 and 20 year old, For us, it’s just amazing,” said Jeff Walcott of their recent 12-day trip.

“To see it first hand and watch him enjoy the game he loves, it’s all a testament to the hard work that he put in at JBLN. I remember when his older brother was playing and Sebastian was just three or four and he wanted to play and he cried the entire season.”

As a former basketball player, whose parents never really pushed for sports over his educational pursuits, Jeff Walcott said they are providing all of the tools necessary to enable their children to succeed in what they enjoy the most.

“We want to keep it balanced that whether he fails or succeeds, we still love him as parents because we know he loves what he’s doing,” he said. “So to be in the center row to see it all unfold is just amazing. We’re filled with pride and joy.”

Based on what he’s seen, Jeff Walcott said everybody is fighting for their spot because there are a lot of high school, collegiate and top ranked players participating, including Wyatt Lanford, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft from the University of Florida.

“Sebastian had an opportunity to play with him and to rub shoulders with him, so you see all types of ball players coming in from all parts of America, so it’s very competitive,” Jeff Walcott said.

“So for him to experience that, it’s really top notch. It has helped him to improve his game and his maturity. He’s getting to see how the professional players carry themselves and the way they approach the game. For anybody to experience it, it’s a rewarding experience and if you put a lot into it, you can get a lot out of it.”

Jeff Walcott said he remembers how he erected a basketball court in their backyard with the hopes of his sons following in his footsteps. But he noticed that they both gravitated to baseball and that was when they shifted their attention to the sport.

More than a decade now, they begin volunteering their services and traveling to international competitions, although admitting that neither knew anything about the sport.

But over the years, Walcott said they’ve been applying themselves and since 2018, he has been elected to serve as the president of JBLN and it’s all because of their sons’ participation.

Hopefully, the younger Walcott said he will provide a lot more reasons for his parents to continue to stick around the sport that he has come to love, enjoy and excel in.