Development.
It’s the biggest part of what the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series does, a separator from many companies who operate in the same space.
Clarence Callaway III gets that. An invite to the Main Event — set for September 29-October 1 — was plenty to tell him that what he showed at the National Combine in Nashville was more than enough for him to earn what was essentially a golden ticket to Fenway Park.
But the level of competition he saw at Shelby Park in July also was a stark reminder to the big Missouri commit that there’s always room to improve. Since we last saw him, “Trey” has been doing that and then some.
Continuing to develop.
“I’ve been working on pretty much every aspect of my game,” Callaway III said. “My speed, my hitting, power, and my catching ability. Last time I was at a Future Stars event, I ran a 6.8 (60-yard dash), now I run a 6.6, I’ve been working on continuing my lefty swing although I have been prioritizing my righty swing. I will hit right handed and continue to develop my left handed swing flashing it in games from time to time. However, I am willing to do whatever a team would like for me to do. I would say the most important piece of information that stuck with me is with my catching. I’ve worked on getting comfortable with a traditional stance and learning my release point so I can keep my arm as healthy as possible.”
The six-foot-one, 210-pound backstop, who also plays football as a middle linebacker, was first seen at June’s Atlanta Regional Combine, and was a quick invite to Nashville from there. He left a big impression on the scouting staff with his big frame and “now strength,” with rave reviews for his arm strength and quick transfer behind the dish.
C, Clarence Callaway (@treycallaway_) singles on a hard hit ball in the hole. He showed a good approach and made hard contact today at the National Combine.@NB_Baseball @P15Sports #WeGotNow pic.twitter.com/ahYG8T5Ymx
— New Balance 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 (@ftrstarsseries) July 4, 2023
“My Future Stars experience has been a true blessing, because I’m able to compete with some of the best guys in the country on a very high scale,” he said. “I am a competitor and I love to compete so that’s right down my alley. I am also able to receive feedback from former pro guys and with their knowledge, they’re able to grade me on an MLB scale which is truly a blessing, it’s almost like a free trial for a membership.”
Callaway is now able to show what he’s done with that feedback and the hard work he’s put in this summer on the big stage, set to both catch and play first base for the Orange Team this coming weekend. Excited as he says he is to see the Green Monster and try to go deep over it, the Conyers, Georgia native is more interested in proving that he’s earned a long career doing what he loves to the people who make those decisions, of which plenty will be in attendance.
“Just to show them that I love to play the game of baseball,” he said. “I know how much of a grind it is in the pros day in and day out. So, in order to do that you truly have to have love for the game. I know that I have that because that’s all I think about. Baseball has been my life since I was born and it will forever remain that way.”
