The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ANFERNEE Seymour has been on a hot streak at the plate recently for the Greensboro Grasshoppers and he reached another career milestone during this run.

Seymour blasted the first home run of his professional career in the Grasshoppers’ 10-7 win over the Rome Braves Saturday night at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, North Carolina.

He finished the game 2-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. His home run in the second inning was a part of the seven-run scoring flurry through the first three innings. They surrendered six runs in the fifth but responded with three runs in the sixth inning to seal the win.

In the first of the four-game series against the Braves, Seymour was stellar from his leadoff spot with a 4-5 night at the plate.

The 20-year-old outfielder is in the midst of his most productive stretch of the season for the Grasshoppers in the Class A (Full) South Atlantic League.

In his last 10 games, Seymour has hit .395 with eight runs scored and seven stolen bases.

Seymour, who starred for the rookie Batavia Muckdogs in the Gulf Coast League last season where he played in 64 games at shortstop with a batting average of .273, was called up in April to the Grasshoppers.

Now with the shift to outfielder defensively, through 58 games thus far, Seymour is hitting .265 with 34 runs scored, 22 stolen bases and 16 RBI. He has recorded a slugging percentage of .309, an on-base percentage of .312 and an OPS of .620.

The 5’11” 165-pound Seymour was taken by the Miami Marlins with the 197th pick in round seven of the 2014 MLB Draft.

The Class-A leagues, the South Atlantic and Midwest, feature a cross section of players like Seymour - moving up from the Short Season and Rookie leagues, as well as the occasional experienced first-year player. These leagues play a full, 140-game schedule, which runs from the first week of April through the first week of September.

“When I first signed, I was a right-handed hitter and a centre fielder. Then the Marlins said, ‘Hey, we want you to become a shortstop and switch-hit.’ You talk about a challenge. But I was up for it. Fortunately, there’s been steady progress, hitting from the left-hand side and especially fielding. The more work I put in, the better I become,” Seymour said in an interview with Jeff Mills of greensboro.com. “I know why they made me a switch-hitter. I’ve got a little speed, and I can be a step or two closer to first base from the left side. I compare myself to a guy like Juan Pierre. I want to hit the ball on the ground and run, make something happen. If I can get on base, I can put pressure on the defence with my speed. I can put pressure on the pitcher because he can’t ignore me.”

Last offseason he has moved up from the Marlins’ No.26 top prospect to No.13.

“I’m still a work in progress,” Seymour says. “I want to learn, and every day I’m getting a little closer to my comfort zone. I just have to trust the process. Obviously, the Marlins see something in me.”