Derek Yormack, a standout pitcher from JFK High School, has been honored as Gatorade's New York Baseball Player of the Year. The award recognizes his exceptional performance on the field and strong academic record throughout the past year.
Yormack, who is set to enter his senior year, was a key player in JFK High School's successful season, contributing to the team's Long Island championship title. His statistics for the season included an earned run average of 0.42 and a batting average of .439.
"The past year has been amazing," Yormack told The Post. He also noted the collaborative spirit among his teammates, stating, "Some teammates come up and ask how to throw a certain pitch or what my approach is in the box. It just drives me. It drives the team. It’s amazing."
The 17-year-old athlete expressed his ambition for his upcoming senior year, aiming to build on the team's success as state semifinalists. "It's not finished yet. We were state semifinalists, so there’s still more to build on. Every day is just about getting better."
Yormack has committed to play for the Vanderbilt Commodores after graduation, with the possibility of being drafted into Major League Baseball before then. "It would be a dream come true," said the lifelong Mets fan.
Separately, Julian Minaya, a 24-year-old right-hander from Hempstead, is currently playing for the Long Island Ducks. Minaya, who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Nassau County, is working towards joining a Major League Baseball farm system. He has found the Atlantic League to be a valuable learning experience, stating, "It's a hitters league. There's just a lot of great talent here. I'm really learning how to pitch better."
Minaya has benefited from advice from former teammate Trevor Bauer, who played for the Ducks earlier in the season. "We talked a lot about how to read the hitters and how to sequence … that’s helped me a lot," Minaya said. He is currently 4-2 with 58 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings pitched for the Ducks, focusing on "learning how to pitch, learning how to use your strength to your advantage, and how to read the hitters better."