Mexico Finds Home At Fordham

BALDWINVILLE, Ma. -  “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

It is a question teachers across the country ask students. In grade school, Sebastian Mexico had the same answer each time he was asked.

“Every year up to middle school I had the same answer … ‘I want to be a professional baseball player,’ ” Mexico said. “Once I got to the age to understand that college was the next step to the major leagues, I began to work my butt off to get where I am now.”

The Phillips Academy Andover senior is certainly where he wants to be now after making a college commitment to Fordham in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

“Fordham was one of the first schools to reach out to me,” the eighth-rated outfielder in the 2021 New England class reflected. “They got to me early in the process. Pitching coach Elliot Glynn was at Hartford and when he changed schools he brought me to their attention. I began talking to them a few months ago and the process moved fast. The next call I had was with coach (Kevin) Leighton, the head coach.”

An offer eventually came from both Fordham as well as another school.

“I came back to them and told them I appreciated it, but Fordham is an expensive school,” Mexico related. “Fortunately, coach Leighton was able to make me another offer that was too good to pass up.”

However, there was still a decision to make.

“A few other D-I schools did a lot of talking to me saying if I reclassified as a 2022 (they were interested),” Mexico noted. “Fordham was one of those as well so they made me an offer on the basis of being a 2022 and 2021. I took the 2021 offer.”

At 6-2 and 165 pounds, the 39th-ranked senior in New England has shown plenty of promise.

“They liked my swing and my approach at the plate,” pointed out the left-handed hitting Mexico, whose exit velocity has reached 100 to go along with a 6.97 time in the 60. “I’m someone who goes after it early in the count, I don’t like to let it up to the umps.

“One thing I’ve done is I’ve gained a lot of power with my swing in the last few months,” Mexico added. “At my size I’m showing a lot of potential. I’ve improved strength-wise. I’ve worked a lot with Driveline, hitting weighted balls and fixing my mechanics in the outfield. At home on my pocket radar I’ve gone from 84 to 93 (on outfield velo).”

Fordham came away impressed after watching Mexico perform for Team Massachusetts at the Future Games in August.

“Assistant coach (Pat) Porter watched me in the first game and said ‘great game,’” Mexico related. “It was a ton of fun representing Massachusetts and hanging out with guys like Jake Needham and Thomas White.”

It was also a learning process according to Mexico, the Workout MVP for Team Massachusetts, who had a hit, two walks, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly in eight plate appearances during three games at the PBR event in Pennsylvania.

“Prior to the Future Games I hadn’t seen much over 80,” Mexico explained. “Everyone at the Future Games was 80-plus. It wasn’t insane, but with the competition I’d faced it came on me fast.”

A lot of work with his father has helped Mexico get to this point with his baseball ability.

“He has been a huge part of where I am today,” Mexico said of his dad, Todd. “The entire offseason he has stayed on us (he has a 15-year-old brother Watson) working in the cage and lifting. He also started me on Driveline.”

It has helped Mexico reach the goal of Division I baseball at Fordham, where he believes he can bring a lot to the table.

“I’m very situational when I get up to bat,” Mexico explained. “I feel I’m pretty selfless when I’m up to the plate. I’m for the team.

“I’m also aggressive on the base paths. I definitely think I can compete at a high level at the top of the order to help my team.”

A 3.43 student undecided on a major, Mexico is pleased to have the recruiting process over and a college destination finalized at a university three hours from home.

“It’s a sense of relief now that I’m not fighting to be noticed any more,” Mexico admitted. “I’m not trying to impress anyone. Now it’s on to the next challenge. It's about working my butt off to get into their lineup. There’s always another challenge.”