Learn about White Sox No. 8 prospect Micker Adolfo's unusual journey into pro ball
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The guys behind Cespedes Family BBQ have embarked on a cross-country road trip to see as many Top-100 MLB prospects as possible.You can find an introduction to the trip and their full schedule by clicking here.
One of the cool things about professional baseball is the vast range of paths each player takes en route to a spot on an affiliated roster. Many make the jump straight from a high school in America, while others join the pro ranks after a career at the collegiate level. On the international side, most players sign at the young age of 16, starting their professional baseball journey before their American counterparts graduate high school. With so many of today's superstars arriving in the States from countries like Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, scouring the international market for talent is as important as ever.
The White Sox made a big splash back in 2013 when they signed Micker Adolfo, the No. 2 ranked international prospect that year, out of the Dominican Republic. Whereas most players who sign out of the Dominican grew up on the baseball-crazed island, Adolfo's journey was quite different. The outfielder didn't move to the D.R. until the age of 14, after spending much of his childhood in New York and the Caribbean island of St. Thomas. On Thursday, we sat down with Adolfo before his game in Hickory to discuss his unusual path to pro ball, playing baseball in St. Thomas, and the values of being bilingual in the minor leagues.