Sickles High School alum Jordan Yost loving first taste of pro-baseball
LAKELAND, Fla. - Jordan Yost, a 2025 Sickles High School graduate, is officially a pro baseball player.
It's been amazing, but the 18-year-old has finally reached the point where he has stopped pinching himself after being selected by the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. He's been training at the Tigers spring training facility in Lakeland.
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"The first couple of weeks, I think it was a little bit of a shock, but definitely settled in lately and getting into a routine," Yost said.
Yost was quite the high school prospect. As a senior at Sickles, he hit for a .420 batting average with four home runs and 26 RBI. But throughout his entire high school career, he only struck out 10 times.
"I think my speed and IQ are the biggest thing and the availability to make contact," Yost said. "I think the power still has a little bit of room to grow but like I was saying, maturing physically will hopefully help with that and kinda take my game to another level."
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The backstory:
However, playing at this level wasn't exactly what he had planned. Yost was born to be a Florida Gator baseball player. That's where his parents went to school and his big brother Hayden currently plays on the baseball team there.
In fact, Yost was on campus for two weeks training with his big brother and the rest of the team before he was drafted. He was dead set on going to Florida.
"Obviously, the Tigers made dreams come true a little sooner, but I am blessed to be here," Yost said. "It has always been my dream to play professional baseball, so being here and lining up being close to home, it was a no-brainer once they reached out."
While the Yost brothers will not be teammates again this upcoming season, Jordan hopes he can team up with his Tigers in the pros soon.
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"We were going to the same college but just took a little bit of a different route than him," Yost said. "Hopefully, he is here one day as well. He has shown me the ropes with everything, whether it's training, hitting fielding. Working hard especially. He has kinda always been the guinea pig so to lead me to this point, he has helped me a tremendous amount. Him and my family both guiding me through this whole thing has been awesome."
Being a pro ball player has certainly been awesome, but he thinks it is especially special because he is now a member of the Tigers organization.
What they're saying:
"Just the way they do things and develop players," Yost said. "They've always had one of the best reputations of a farm system. I know that's really high right now. Just trusting all of the staff here and doing this all together to put me in the best position possible to be successful. I am really excited to get going on that journey."
Yost has been soaking it all in.
"Just taking it one day at a time," Yost said. "I am not trying to rush anything. Just be the best I can be every day."
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For the 18-year-old infielder, being the best he can starts in the weight room. He's hoping to add 10 pounds of muscle to get up to around 180 pounds, but also to add a little bit of power to his impressive contact skills at the plate.
"I think a lot of it is physically," Yost said. "Just trying to be more physically mature. Bigger, faster and stronger in the offseason and just taking it one day at a time, just being patient. I think I haven't always been in the biggest guy, but I will definitely work hard to get to where I need to be. Hopefully, by this spring, I am a little bit of a different person and put myself in a good position for next year."
While he wants to change physically, he hopes to remain the same with his mental game.
"I think the most important thing is how you feel about yourself opposed to what other people think," Yost said. "I know how hard I have been working and the journey I take it hasn't always been the higher-ranked guys coming up, but I think the trust in God as well. Just let Him guide the path in my life."
Yost hopes that path will lead to Comerica Park and the big leagues, but he is in no rush to get there.
"I feel good with where I am at," Yost said. "I still know I have a lot of room to grow but just not trying to get too ahead of myself. Just really keeping it one day at a time. One moment at a time. One lift at a time. Just making sure I am stacking days instead of wanting to get to a final destination next week or next month."
What's next:
Yost will have about five more bridge games playing out in Lakeland with the Tigers before his season comes to an end.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Mark Skol, Jr.