Williamsport’s Adam Haseley, Phils’ 1st-round pick, making seamless transition to pros
Adam Haseley emerged from the visitors’ dugout, white gloves in hand, ready to take batting practice at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
It was more than an hour before the ninth game of his professional career, and the Williamsport Crosscutters center fielder hit sharp ground balls through the infield and sprayed line drives into the outfield. He wore a gray shirt with the white Philadelphia Phillies “P” logo on it like the rest of his teammates, but his swing — his purity as a hitter — immediately made him stand out.
About two weeks earlier, Haseley took batting practice at Citizens Bank Park and watched two games during Philadelphia’s series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Haseley — the eighth overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft — got a glimpse of the big-league experience during the visit before starting his climb through the minor leagues this summer.
“I think it was cool just to soak in the whole park and soak in the two games I saw,” Haseley said after his round of batting practice at Medlar Field. “That’s a place where everyone dreams of being one day.”
Haseley continued his hot start to his pro career Wednesday night, going 3 for 5 with an RBI in the Crosscutters’ 6-3 win over the Spikes. He is now hitting .458 in six games in the New York-Penn League after a short stay in the Gulf Coast League. Haseley went 3 for 4 in his pro debut June 27 in the Gulf Coast League and finished 7 for 12 (.583) in three games with the Phillies’ Rookie-level affiliate.
Haseley has now reached base in all nine games this season, and he’s recorded eight multi-hit games. Since Haseley only joined Williamsport last Friday, he’s impressed Crosscutters manager Pat Borders with his work ethic and intensity.
“You watch him take batting practice and instead of hitting the ball, he’s trying to hit the ball hard somewhere,” Borders said. “He’s done it for so many years to get to this point, and it’s become a habit for him. And he’s very good at concentrating and doing it.”
Haseley — who rests the bat on his shoulder before every pitch — noted everything’s moved quickly since his visit to Philadelphia, where he had his physical and saw the clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park. The Virginia product said he met with the Phillies at this year’s ACC tournament, several weeks before one scout told CSN, “He’s going to be a good Phillie for a long time.”
During the meeting, Haseley was asked how his season was going, what he was working on and if he was ready for pro ball. Haseley hit .390 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs and went 7-1 with a 3.58 ERA on the mound in 2017. He knew he was prepared, so he told them as much — especially after three years at Virginia, where he matured and learned how to approach the game mentally.
“Throughout the whole three years of college, I was working toward having this opportunity,” Haseley said.
The Phillies selected him in the first round of this year’s draft and sent him to Clearwater, Fla., after his trip to Philadelphia. Four days after being assigned to the Gulf Coast League Phillies, Haseley was promoted to Williamsport.
“It’s a battle every day that you’re playing,” Haseley said of his introduction to pro ball. “The game’s not going to get any easier just because you might be a little tired one day or whatever. It’s just something that you have to bring full energy to every day.”
Borders watched Haseley produce as the team’s No. 3 hitter Wednesday night. In the first inning, Haseley singled up the middle on a 3-2 pitch to drive in the game’s first run. He added another single in the third inning when he scorched a line drive off the glove of Spikes third baseman Evan Mendoza and finished his night with a single to left field in the ninth inning.
“He can go the other way just as easily as (he) pulls it,” Borders said. “He’s not a Wade Boggs-type hitter, but he has that kind of bat control.”
It was another productive night at the start of a career he hopes leads to playing for the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
“It would just be something that every guy has to earn,” Haseley said. “It would be a huge blessing if I get there one day, and I’m just going to keep working to hopefully get there.”
This story was originally published July 5, 2017 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Williamsport’s Adam Haseley, Phils’ 1st-round pick, making seamless transition to pros."