Harrison Central pitcher choosing New York Mets over JCJC
Today, News 25 was the first to report that Harrison Central’s Brendan Hardy has opted to forego his commitment with Jones County Junior College and sign with the New York Mets. That being said, the most hectic week of his life is just getting started with the 31st round selection heading to Port St. Lucie, Florida tomorrow to make it official.
The hard-throwing righty says once the money fell into place, he had the chance to live out his dream and that’s what he wants to do.
“Whenever you get that call, there’s no other feeling like it.” For Brendan Hardy, it was the New York Mets or bust in the 2018 MLB first year player draft and the first two days had already come and gone. “We had been talking to the Mets for a long time. And they said you know what expect a call on Day 3.”
And with the 920th overall selection in the 32nd round, it happened even though he didn’t know it yet. “Some of my friends were like congrats, they texted me. And I was like what are they talking about. And then they were like you just got drafted. And then my dad, I said Dad, everybody is saying I just got drafted. And then he was like, well I didn’t see anything. And then right whenever he says that, the Mets are calling.”
Overcome with joy, the Hardy household reacted in the most masculine way possible. “We immediately started screaming. Like I’m talking about, not like a pre-teen girl scream. It was just like, we were just ecstatic. And then I saw tears come down his eyes. And I was like, he’s proud of me.”
Hard not to be proud of a son that can cross-up his dad on local television with quite the array of pitches. Four-seam fastball topping out at 94 curveball, split-change, and the uncommon cross-seam fastball, the kinda stuff that Hardy is betting on to project at the next level. “We slept on it, and my parents came in my room and they asked me. They were like B, so what do we do from here? Are we going to Jones or are we going to the Mets? And I was like I have a choice to live out my dream, and that’s what I want to do.”
It’s something he’s wanted to do since he was in pre-K and now the reality of racking up K’s as a professional is that dream come true. “It means the world because as a four-year old kid just sitting in the backyard, all you’re thinking about is I’m going to be a Major League Baseball player. Grew up. Everybody asked me, what do you want to be? A Major League Baseball player. People always told me to start being realistic. That’s one thing that really got to me, and that forced me to work harder.”
Harrison Central head baseball Coach Neil Frederic said, “He invested in our program, it’s always good. I mean you get chill bumps thinking about it right now that you have somebody that’s measured up to be considered one of the best and play at the next level, so it’s very gratifying.”
Hardy says the exact details of the contract won’t be finalized until tomorrow.
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