EVERETT — Last weekend Kyle Lewis became the focal point for thousands of Seattle Mariners fans as the first-round draft pick out of Mercer University signed his first professional contract and was introduced to the crowd at Safeco Field.
On Thursday Lewis showed up for work for the first time as a pro baseball player before significantly fewer eyes when he joined his new Everett AquaSox teammates for an afternoon workout at Everett Memorial Stadium.
“It’s fun just being able to get out here,” said Lewis, whom the Mariners took No. 11 overall. “(It’s fun) just being on the team, knowing where I’m going to be at and just try to get my feet wet and get going.”
Following his introduction at Safeco, Lewis returned home to Georgia to pick up his passport in anticipation of the Frogs’ first trip to Vancouver, B.C., next week. Once he got that squared away he jumped back on the plane and arrived in time for Thursday’s practice where he joined his teammates for an extended infield-outfield session followed by base-running drills and batting practice.
He didn’t waste any time impressing the Everett coaching staff.
“Kyle is an outstanding young man,” Everett hitting coach Brian Hunter said. “(He’s) very respectful, very humble and a very hard worker. That’s something we’ve already noticed on day one.”
Lewis said he wasn’t surprised the Mariners took him, especially when he was still available at No. 11.
“You talk to certain teams and at a certain point leading up to the draft we kind of had an idea of where we were going to fall,” he said. “For me we had a good idea that the Mariners, if I ended up being there, they would take me.”
Lewis is coming off a junior season in which he hit .395/.535/.731 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI in 223 at-bats. He is one of four finalists for the Golden Spikes Award given to the top amateur player by USA Baseball.
All this came after he went undrafted out of high school and played only part-time as a freshman at Mercer. It was during summer ball in Ohio following his freshman season that things began to click, Lewis said.
“I think that was the biggest help for me, being able to go out there and play every day and get continuous reps,” Lewis said. “At that point is when I started to see my skills go to a different level.”
The Mariners liked Lewis enough to make him the highest-ever draft pick from Mercer, a private university in Georgia that plays in the Southern Conference.
“One thing I notice about the college guys is that they come with a different discipline and a respect for the game, and we really like that,” Hunter said. “That’s encouraging for the coaches to work with players like that.”
Lewis will make his debut this weekend as the Frogs open the season with a six-game road trip to Tri-City and Vancouver beginning Friday. Local fans will get their first opportunity to see him in action at Everett’s home opener on June 23.
For the latest AquaSox news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.
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