Jacob Sanford Makes Pro Debut With Staten Island

Staten Island, NY – The New York Yankees 2019 third round pick, Jacob Sanford, took a professional baseball field for the first time on Saturday at Richmond County Ballpark, home of the New York-Penn League’s Staten Island Yankees. He arrived in New York just a few hours from first pitch, and had only found out the previous night that he would be flying from Tampa the following day.

The Nova Scotia native had never seen New York City before, but as he walked out onto the field for batting practice, he saw the view of the city, the World Trade Center behind the batters eye in center field and the skyline of Manhattan, which for any newcomer, is breathtaking.

Sanford hit third for the Yankees and hit a deep fly ball to right field. The crowd roared as the ball looked to be leaving the ballpark in Sanford’s first professional at-bat, but Brooklyn Cyclones right-fielder Zach Ashford made the catch on the warning track. His second at-bat came in the bottom of the third, and he hit a hard ground ball to third base, but a nice play retired him.

It was pre-determined by Staten Island manager David Adams that Sanford would be taken out after five innings, so when Sanford came up in the fifth, he knew that it would be the last at-bat of his pro debut. The first pitch he swung out of his shoes. The following pitch he took low and inside, and then the third pitch hit him in the hand, a disappointing end to the night which drew worry from many fans.

Yankees manager, David Adams, told me after the game, “Nothing to worry about at all. He’s fine. He’s on a progression and (his innings played per game) will vary daily.”

Sanford still had a big smile on his face while meeting with media after the game

“It’s pretty awesome,” Sanford described his pro debut. A game he will never forget and still a long season with Staten Island with many more memorable moments to come.