Reading 'Swamp Boy' McCafferty's named Gatorade Massachusetts Baseball Player of the Year
A junior at Austin Prep in Reading will be touring the country playing baseball, and he's hoping it will someday lead to Fenway Park.
The Swamp Boys
A long line of D-1 college baseball players has emerged from a field in Reading, affectionately called "The Swamp."
"We refer to ourselves as the Swamp Boys, and that's a nod to the players that came before this current generation who played down here when it was a swamp," said Austin Prep Baseball Coach JP Pollard
Of all Austin Prep's "Swamp Boys," Bradley McCafferty is the only one who has been named the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for Massachusetts.
"Every moment of every day, when I was little, I wanted to play baseball. It took me where I am today. So I love the game," McCaffery said.
Most days, McCaffery dedicates himself to working on his craft as a catcher. "Every play, you're back there commanding the game. So that's, I think, why I fell in love with it. Never a moment where you can't be locked in. I'm a competitor.
The rising senior has been a standout behind home plate, says Austin Prep alum Evan Blanco, who's now a Major League Baseball draft prospect out of the University of Virginia.
"Bradley's a stud. I remember him catching me when he was in middle school before he came to Austin Prep. I even knew that he was something special back then," Blanco said.
A student of the game
McCafferty said he takes notes from guys like Blanco who've been there before.
"It's always just valuable because those guys have another insight - I haven't been there yet," McCafferty said.
He's helped lead Austin Prep to a 20-2 record this season, batting .367 and averaging one RBI per game.
"He's come a very long way as a catcher, and as a hitter he's night and day. He is a well-rounded hitter that has power potential, but can hit to all fields, can shorten up and hit in two-strike counts. He's a future pro," Pollard said.
McCafferty's already gotten a taste of the big leagues over the past two years, spending time on the Red Sox and Yankees scout teams.
"It's pretty surreal playing for those great organizations. I go to places like Fenway. I like to go to ballparks a lot. I try to envision myself on that field. What would it look like? ... I see it happening. That's the goal at least," McCafferty said.
This summer, he'll be crossing the country playing ball, eventually serving as captain for Team Massachusetts in Omaha.
"I wasn't a good Little League player. ... When I do my coaching stuff, I tell the young kids, 'I never hit a home run in Little League, and, like, look where I am now.' It doesn't matter about how you are when you're young. When I was young, I was confident in my ability, but I never thought I'd have the chance - maybe have the chance - to go to college or to go pro to play baseball. It's all about work ethic and goals. Your skill is never a complacent thing. ... You gotta keep working at it."
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