Younger Sheffield among relatives of MLBers at Breakthrough Series

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Throughout baseball history, few things are as distinct as Gary Sheffield flicking his wrists and bat in the batter’s box.

You know it when you see it. You’ve probably imitated the waggle.

The unique stance has resurfaced, this time with the All-Star’s son Noah, who is making a name for himself on the diamond.

“This is what we talked about when he was a little child growing up to this point,“ Gary said. “Always working behind the scenes and getting better, so when it’s time to showcase your talents, you just come out here and have fun.”

The elder Sheffield played 22 years in the Major Leagues. He finished his career with nine All-Star appearances and ranks 26th all-time with 509 home runs. He also won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997.

Sheffield is one of seven players participating in the Breakthrough Series this week at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex who have relatives that played in MLB.

Madrid Tucker is another; his father Michael was an outfielder for 12 years in the big leagues with stints on eight different teams.

Tucker is one of the youngest players in the series, one of two players projected to graduate in 2025. It's his second time participating in the Breakthrough Series.

“It’s always fun seeing all the guys,” Tucker said. “Coaches give more input than most other travel teams, and it’s always good to be back.”

Other players with pro relatives include: Aaron Strawberry, the nephew of Daryl Strawberry; Jonathan Williams, the son of Reggie Williams; Jaden Barfield, the nephew of Jesse Barfield; Denver Matthews, the son of Del Matthews and Grandson of Gary Matthews; and Kalani Santos, the son of former pitcher Sergio Santos.

Del Matthews, who is the vice president of baseball development for Major League Baseball, said that while players with relatives that played in MLB aren’t necessarily a target for these events, it does allow the players to develop their own passion.

“It’s great to have them down here,” Matthews said. “They can develop their own love for the sport and for the game and interact with it in a way that allows them to be themselves but also, grow and get better. I think they love the game just as much as everyone else and it’s good to see them excelling.”

Santos’ dad, Sergio, was a pitcher and played six years in the big leagues. Of all the things he’s learned from his dad, the mental aspect of the game and being patient is what resonated with him the most.

“One of the things [my dad] always says is, 'You have to stay strong,'” Santos said. “It takes time [and] working on your craft every single day to try and get to that level.”

This is the first year the younger Sheffield has participated in the Breakthrough Series. The opportunity to learn and improve is why the Breakthrough Series appealed to him.

“The coaches, they have a lot of experience playing the game and coaching the game,” Sheffield said. “I feel like it’s a necessity to be here to learn from them and get passed down the information that they have. They will only make me better.”

Sheffield grew up in MLB clubhouses, and he even got to see his dad hit his 500th career home run April 17, 2009. Despite always being around the game, it took an injury to make him realize his love for baseball.

“It clicked when I broke my wrist,” the almost-16-year-old Sheffield said. “I just had time taken away from baseball and I realized how much I missed it, and that I wanted to take it seriously.”

Even with his father's success on the field, Sheffield says Gary is a normal dad. He coaches him and teaches him. He also knows how much hard work is needed to reach the next level.

“'You need to work 10 times harder than everybody,'” Noah Sheffield said regarding his dad's advice. “'You need to put forth more effort than everybody because when you get looked at, you only have one opportunity, and you don’t want to miss your opportunity.'”

The elder Sheffield noted the importance of events like the Breakthrough Series, where young players get to see where they stack up against other players while gaining valuable experience.

“It’s very important,” Gary said. “You finally get to meet them, play against them and know where you measure up. Just the experience of this is priceless and this is going to help these kids going forward, wherever they go.”