Inspired by grandfather’s memory, UM signee matures into a top prospect at Miami Springs
Miami Springs senior third baseman Jason
Torres could have many reasons for wearing the
No. 3 on his baseball jersey.
Torres owns a glove of Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman, his favorite major-league player to man the “hot corner.”
As a kid, he was a fan of Evan Longoria.
It could have also been since Torres is from Miami and in high school had the same coach who once coached Manny Machado.
The real reason goes further back and is more personal for Torres.
“When I was a kid my grandfather told me, ‘One day you’re going to hit long home runs just like Babe Ruth,’ ” Torres said. “He was the one who taught me baseball and he believed I could be something big in the game one day.”
Torres is making his grandfather, Hector, proud these days with every “Ruthian” swing of his bat, which has already broken a school home run record at Springs previously held by another major-league AllStar and put him on the radar of several big-league clubs.
Torres, a University of Miami signee, has hit a career 24 home runs, which surpassed the previous Miami Springs record of 20 held by Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal.
Torres’ power bat and ability to make consistent contact have also made him a potential early-round draft pick in this summer’s Major League Baseball draft.
“I just always feel like if I can see the ball I can hit it,” Torres said.
Torres, who has trained with Grandal and has the same advisor he had in high school, is a career .418 hitter with 104 RBI at Springs.
His ability to make consistent contact has complemented his raw power as Torres has drawn 47 walks and struck out only 43 times in his career.
This season, Torres is hitting .486 with eight home runs, eight doubles, two triples and 26 RBI. His home run total is tied for third in Miami-Dade County.
In 2019, Torres’ six home runs and 27 RBI contributed to Miami Springs making its first trip to the state final four before losing in the semifinals.
Springs was geared up to
make another attempt at the state title in 2020 before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the season.
Last season as a junior, Torres hit a career-best .521 with eight home runs, 11 doubles and 45 RBI, but Springs lost in the Class 4A regional semifinals to Mater Lakes.
The road back to state appears tough again this season.
The Golden Hawks (19-5) once again lost to Mater Lakes last week in their district championship game and now face a rematch
against the Bears on Wednesday night in a Region 4-4A quarterfinal at 7 p.m. at Barry University. The winner is likely facing a road trip to play top-seeded Key West in the regional semifinals on Saturday.
But Torres’ power displays are what has turned the heads of fans and scouts for years.
Torres blasted one of his six home runs as a freshman for a walk-off regional playoff win over national powerhouse Plantation American Heritage, which went more than 400 feet to center.
Torres, who had originally committed to FIU before switching to UM, also hit a home run that season into the left field bullpen at loanDepot Park during a regular-season game played there.
“It’s funny because my coach told me to keep the ball down because it doesn’t travel well there,” Torres said with a laugh.
Torres’ coach is David Fanshawe, who coached at Brito Miami Private School when Machado was in high school.
Fanshawe calls Torres the best hitter he’s seen since Machado and credits his poise at the plate and ability to handle the added attention and scrutiny that comes with being a prospect for his success.
“He doesn’t fold under pressure and the stage is never too big for him,” Fanshawe said. “It’s easy to come out here and play when there’s nobody here. But he loves the stage. Even when there’s a ton of scouts here it doesn’t faze him.”
Torres’ grandfather began teaching him the game when he was 6 years old. A former player himself, Torres said his grandfather played in Cuba in the 1940s and was even offered a contract to come to the United States to play for the Boston Red Sox, but it didn’t work out.
Torres said his grandfather used to come to his games to watch him play growing up and would give him a dollar every time he hit a home run, which was often.
While Torres hopes to soon fulfill a dream and play for a major-league team, his favorite memory of crushing a baseball came in a high school tournament two weeks after his grandfather passed away at age 90.
“I still have the ball,” Torres said. “I wrote the words ‘For you, Abuelo.’ I still think about him when I’m out there and I’m always trying to make him proud.”