World Series Champ Helps Steer Star Freshman to Wolfpack
Jose Torres had a decision to make after he was drafted in the 24th round by the Milwaukee Brewers last June.
Should he sign with the team and begin his professional career or should he honor his commitment to NC State and play college ball for the next three years?
Naturally, he consulted with his parents about his options.
But it wasn’t until he talked to Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals that he decided to follow a similar path to the 2019 World Series champion and come to Raleigh as the Wolfpack’s next star shortstop.
“I did a little research,” Torres said. “Once I got drafted, Coach (Elliott) Avent put me in contact with him. It was a great conversation. Just what was his process coming to college, how he dealt with it, his whole process here at NC State and how it worked for him.”
Things worked out quite well for Turner.
He set a school record with 57 stolen bases in 2012, the led the Wolfpack to the College World Series the following year before being drafted in the first round (13th overall) by the San Diego Padres. He was eventually traded to Washington, where he has become a mainstay at the top of the team’s batting order.
While Torres is hoping his career turns out as well, Turner isn’t the former Wolfpack shortstop to whom he’s likely to be most compared.
That honor goes to another first-round Major League draft pick and the player he was recruited to replace.
Will Wilson was State’s leading hitter last season with a .335 average, 20 doubles, 16 homers and a .661 slugging percentage while earning consensus All-America honors. He was also the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year.
“It’s tough shoes to fill,” Torres said Wednesday as he and his teammates prepared for their season opener Friday against James Madison, adding that he’s not intimidated about the role he’s going to be asked to play as a true freshman.
“I’ll just take it on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “I’ll do what’s best for the team. I’m my own player, I have my own style of play.”
It’s a style that has impressed his teammates during the fall season and the past few weeks of practice.
“I think he’s going to be a good player for the team,” sophomore second baseman Will McDonough said. “He’s a team guy. He can hit the ball, throw the ball, field. He’s an all-around good player. I like playing middle infield with him. He’s a smart player.”
Those smarts aren’t confined to the baseball field.
Torres said that getting a “jumpstart” on his education played a big part in his decision to come to State rather than riding busses in a remote Rookie League location this season. The Baltimore native said the experience at school will help make him a better overall person.
It also has the potential to improve his draft standing considerably if his play for the Wolfpack warrants it.
“Jose Torres is a great player and we’re very lucky to have him, because everybody had going in the draft,” Avent said. “They didn’t think he’d ever get to NC State, so it’s an opportunity for all 30 clubs to have another shot at his ability.”
In the meantime, Avent did his best to pump the brakes on the hype for his young player by saying that it’s never good expecting too much out of a freshman.
“He’s still 18 years old,” the State coach said. “He’s still got to grow in this game and understand how it’s done in college when you play 60-70 games, not those 20 high school games. He’s a great player. He’ll adapt and get better as the season goes along.”