NEWS

 

Story by Tim Wilcox  |  Photo by Brandon Lauchnor

Jeremiah Jenkins remembers his first home run “perfectly.”

Nine-year-old Jenkins was facing a 1-0 count at a field near his hometown in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Expecting a fastball, Jenkins drove the next pitch over the right center field fence into the trees. Jenkins’ parents were amazed by the home run and his father, Thomas, retrieved the ball from the woods.

That baseball found a home in the Jenkins family’s home plate-shaped case, where his parents have collected many of his home runs during his career. After each one, they would mark the ball with the date, the situation of the at bat, and the milestone.

 

Photo courtesy of Jeremiah Jenkins

Jenkins took his first swings at 3 years old, hitting off a tee with his father in their backyard. The first baseman carried the powerful stroke with him to St. Vincent Pallotti High School, and then to the University of Maine, where he has tallied 50 home runs across three seasons. Now, Jenkins, 21, is gearing up for the MLB Draft on July 14 as the No. 199 ranked draft prospect, according to MLB.com.

Jeremiah Jenkins was just ranked the No. 199 #MLBDraft prospect. The @MaineBaseball, @Alexandria_Aces infielder hit summer home run No. 2 Wednesday, 402 ft/99 EV.

MLB’s Brand new Top 250 Prospects list: https://t.co/RwgLG54OW9 pic.twitter.com/2pRyJ874Ls

— Timmy Wilcox (@TimmyWilcox32) June 27, 2024

In 2022, Jenkins played his first summer in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League for the Gaithersburg Giants and registered 23 RBI and a .790 OPS. This summer, Jenkins returned to the league, this time to play for the Alexandria Aces, where he posted a 1.114 OPS and crushed three home runs.

Before Jenkins won America East Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2023, he was unknown to a lot of college programs. As a rising senior in high school, Jenkins attended a summer prospect camp at Maine and hit two balls to the warning track. That’s when Jenkins, and his personality, landed on the Black Bears’ radar.

“He had tons of energy, he was always trying to joke around a little bit, he was enthusiastic about everything,” Maine head coach Nick Derba said.

Jenkins sent hitting videos to Derba leading up to his freshman season at Maine. He arrived on campus with an unorthodox swing and way of catching the ball, but still found ways to be successful, Derba said.

Facing LSU in the first series of the season, Jenkins received his first in-game opportunity to show his talent. He stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and worked a 10-pitch at bat. Despite the battle ending in a strikeout, it showed Derba a glimpse of his potential.

"From pitch number one, he was on 97 to 99 fouling the ball straight back and I was like, ‘This is going to be a real guy,’” Derba said. “And sure enough, he never came out of the lineup from that day forward.”

That season, Jenkins hit .284 with seven home runs, earning him Freshman All-American recognition. But Jenkins knew he was capable of more.

“Going into sophomore year, I knew I had more to do,” Jenkins said. “So my mindset that whole winter was you have to play like you have something to prove.”

Jenkins spent the 2022 summer with the Giants before returning to Maine to work with Derba to change his batting stance. The two devised a plan to maximize his 6-foot-4 frame, which gave him more comfort in the box, Jenkins said.

Throughout the process, Jenkins achieved greater balance and impressed Derba by applying new ideas quickly.

“It was fun to work with [Jenkins], because his idea of hitting is clear and concise as far as what he understands and what he wants to do,” Derba said. “He has a clear path moving forward, which doesn't happen very often.”

Jenkins also learned from older teammates how to deal with failures and successes. Fellow Black Bears, such as infielder Quinn McDaniel, also earned playing time early in their careers and helped guide Jenkins when struggles were bound to happen.

“[McDaniel] had a very high IQ as a hitter very early on, and [Jenkins] did as well, and they were able to kind of hit it off right away,” Derba said.

Jenkins, who hit behind McDaniel in the lineup during his first two seasons, built a more advanced approach at the plate. Meanwhile, Jenkins devoted himself to the weightroom. The combination led Jenkins to a breakout sophomore season with a 1.250 OPS and a team-leading 21 home runs. This earned him America East All-Conference First Team honors and Third Team All-American honors on the national stage.

As becoming a professional became more of a possibility, Jenkins watched McDaniel, a junior, prepare for the 2023 MLB Draft. McDaniel was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the fifth round and Jenkins learned from him what to expect in his next year.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Jenkins continued to work on his defensive skills and ate a more disciplined diet. Using a patient approach at the plate, Jenkins set new career bests with 22 home runs and a .762 slugging percentage.

Following the season, Jenkins returned to the CRSCBL to join the Aces and head coach Chris Berset. The opportunity to play close to home has allowed him to learn what professional baseball could look like from Berset, who played seven minor league seasons in the Cincinnati Reds organization.

During Alexandria’s league-best 17-7 month of June, Jenkins has also taken the next step in his development.

“I still want to compete and have fun because I'm competitive, but I’m realizing I don't have to do more than I need to do,” Jenkins said.

The approach led Jenkins to an 11-game hitting streak while he continued to punish baseballs, blasting his third home run of the season 425 feet on June 29.

This year’s MLB Draft is coming up in mid-July. Jenkins hopes to hear his name called to cross the threshold into professional baseball. Then, he will have the chance to hit more home runs and once again add to his family’s home plate-shaped case.