With Commack garnering much of the attention in League 2 in 2017, it was easy to let some of the other outstanding performances go underappreciated. Bay Shore, one year after recording the most victories in Suffolk County, compiled a record of 14-8 and won a playoff game over Kings Park before getting eliminated by Hauppauge.
Their biggest impact player was League 2 MVP Hermes Abreu, who was also named first-team All State. He is one of the rare two-way players that plays primarily behind the plate. He had numbers that jumped right off the stat sheet; he hit over .500 with 4 HR, 35 RBI and went 7-0 with 3 saves on the mound. You could argue he would’ve won the Yaz Award had Brian Morrell not dominated as well.
He is currently at Concordia College, where he will begin his collegiate career.
He is a very soft-spoken individual, but he spoke with Vinny Messana and here’s what he had to say.
Who would you say has had the biggest influence in your life?
My father is my biggest influence in my life. He played Professional baseball in the Dominican Republic and has taught me everything I know.
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What did you work on in the offseason to improve your game?
This offseason I focused on perfecting my swing and also my mental game
You put up tremendous numbers both on the mound and at the plate this season. What do you enjoy more?
As a hitter I enjoy hitting the long ball but a clutch save always feels good and yes I will also be pitching and catching in college.
League 2 had some of the best players in the region this year and in 2016. What was is like competing with them on a daily basis?
In my opinion, League II had the best athletes in Suffolk baseball these past years. Facing these stud players head to head is always fun. It allows me to bring out the best of myself in every game
I personally felt Bay Shore was very underappreciated, how did you guys manage to constantly outperform expectations?
At Bay Shore we strive to win every game possible. Our hustle and determination going into every game is what wins us all games. We may be underrated most of the time but in tight pressure situations, you don’t wanna face us.
Who are some big league players you try to emulate?
At the plate I look up to Robinson Cano. I try to emulate his swing as much as possible. On the mound I look up to Mariano Rivera. I try to emulate his pitches.
Can you talk a bit about why you decided to attend Concordia College?
I chose Concordia for two reasons. First reason was for academics and the second reason was for baseball. The campus feel like home and I knew I would fit in well.
When did you begin playing baseball?
I’ve been playing baseball since I was 3 and I always knew that it was for me
