Move To Northeast Has Saint A 'Breakout' Player

Yechiel Saint SS / OF / Bridgton Academy, ME / 2021

NORTH BRIDGTON, Me. - A whirlwind year has Yechiel Saint now the top-ranked uncommitted junior in New England.

A resident in the Bahamas until this fall, Saint reclassified as a 2021 last fall before rethinking the idea when a change in schools to Bridgton Academy was made. A late arrival to the states due to a hurricane in his homeland brought on a reversal of thought for the 17-year-old.

“I wasn’t getting the looks I expected so in January I reclassified as a 2021,” Saint said.

More time has proven vital, especially with COVID-19 changing recruitment.

“The decision to move here was to get more exposure,” explained the 56th-rated junior shortstop in North America. “It’s easier to get exposure in the U.S. With coach (Aaron) Izaryk, I’m beginning to get that opportunity.”

While no visits have been made since his arrival in October, Virginia Tech and UNC-Asheville have been talking the most with the 5-11 170-pounder, who managed to play five games in the fall to get a taste of what it was like in the northeast.

“The mindset is totally different,” Saint said of what he’s learned since arriving in the states to go to school and play baseball full time. “People work harder here. They have a great work ethic. It’s different how serious they take the game here. They have a lot of resources to help them.”

Colleges that have been in contact with Saint are happy with his recent choice of a post-grad year.

“Most of the schools wanted me, but they wanted me for a 2021,” Saint related. “Once I made the decision to do post-grad they were excited to hear that and to keep them posted with everything about my baseball and school.”

Saint, who has one older brother (Orveo) in the Brewers’ organization and another playing baseball at Indiana Tech (Yeshua), has dreamed about playing college baseball from the time he was a youth.