Adametz is drafted by Tigers
Gov. Mifflin grad Joe Adametz, a left-handed pitcher from Liberty University, is selected in the 14th round
After Joe Adametz received word that he had been selected in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball’s draft by the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, the Gov. Mifflin grad and lefthanded pitcher from Liberty University thought of family.
“It’s actually very, very poetic,” Adametz said. “My grandfather, his name was Ralph Rennard, passed away June 15. He was going to be 96 years old on July 7. His favorite baseball team was the Detroit Tigers, so my mom actually got pretty teared up. It’s definitely a God thing and God working through our lives. He’s (his grandfather) definitely looking down from heaven with a big smile on his face knowing that this is what I’ll be doing for the next little bit.”
Adametz was taken with the 417th overall selection after going 6-3 with a 2.51 ERA in 16 games, all starts, this spring for the Flames. In 86 innings, he gave up 94 hits, walked 25 and struck out 84.
“It’s a dream come true,” Adametz said. “It’s felt like something that people always told me I had the potential of doing, and was a very real possibility, and now that it’s actually here, it’s even crazier than it sounds. I just feel extremely blessed by my family, my support system, my friends, God, that I’ve been given this opportunity and I’m ready to see where it takes me.”
Adametz’s road to this day wasn’t without bumps. He received little interest from college recruiters heading into his senior year at Mifflin before attending a camp at Liberty, which led to him becoming a Flame.
Then he didn’t pitch at all in 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2020. He admits it threw a loop into his expectations, likely pushing back the start of his pro career by a year.
“This is kind of where I’ve been hoping and preparing to be two years now after surgery,” he said.
He and/or his advisor received several calls during the draft’s second day Monday, when rounds 3-10 were held. Adametz said the Padres called in the eighth round and the Phillies in the 10th.
“They had offers,” Adametz said, “but obviously it wasn’t anything that was enticing, it wasn’t anything that I was looking for. I wasn’t expecting to be a seven-figure guy or a multiple hundred-thousand dollar guy, but I valued myself to the point where I think I’d have better luck on the third day when the budget kind of resets.”
He was correct, saying that waiting definitely paid off.
“It was the Rockies and the Tigers that were calling back and forth, me and my agent,” Adametz said. “Eventually the Tigers had a better offer. We told them we would take it if they would take me. Next thing you know, my name shows up, and the rest of history.”
Adametz, who is 6-5, 190 pounds, said he eventually will report to the Tigers’ facility in Lakeland, Fla., for a physical. He said no timetable has been set for that, or for where he might end up playing this summer.
“I’m not exactly sure what they want me to do,” he said, “but I’ve been preparing over the last month to stay ready for whatever they want me to do.”
Adametz said he knows this is just the first step in a journey he hopes will end in the major leagues.
“Coming from Berks County and going to Mifflin, there’s a bunch of people that blessed me and I’m just thankful to them and all the people that have been a part of this, and the whole community,” Adametz said. “It’s been a great thing. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get out there and make a bigger name for myself.”
And if he does, he surely will be thinking of his late grandfathers, Rennard and Joe Adametz Sr.
“Both my grandfathers have been big inspirations,” Adametz said. “My paternal grandfather, he played baseball, loved baseball growing up, so really, the love of baseball has really stemmed from them. It’s really who I’ve gotten it from and I feel that it’s just great that I get to play the game that they loved, and for the team that my grandpa Ralph loved, too.”