Miami Laker Lorenzo Hampton Jr. off to great start in minor leagues

Growing up in Miami Lakes Lorenzo Hampton Jr., knew baseball was his game.
His dad is former Miami Dolphins running back Lorenzo Hampton Sr., but his son decided not to follow in his footsteps and try America’s favorite pastime instead.
It paid off.
Hampton,who just finished his senior season at Florida International University was recently drafted in the 28th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Miami Marlins.
He was assigned to the Marlins Gulf Coast League team and he played his first minor league game against the Houston Astros. So far in the first week, Hampton hit his first home run against the Cardinals and has three hits, four RBI’s and three runs scored through his first four games.
According to baseball pundits, it’s rare when a MLB player gets drafted by his hometown team.
For Hampton, it’s a dream come true.
“It was definitely an honor to get picked by the Marlins,” he said. “I just plan on working hard and making all the people who believed in me proud.”
Hampton, who was a standout player at Monsignor Edward Pace High, said he was at home when his area scout Adrian Puig called him with the good news.
His parents were out running errands when he got drafted but wanted to tell them right away.
“I just called them and told them that I was going to the Marlins,” he said. “They were pretty excited for me and happy I was getting a chance to play for a team I always grew up watching.”
The 6-5, 225-pound player said the Marlins picked him after scouting his college performance at FIU and the University of California Berkley.
“They liked me for my power,” he said. “They want to see me be a run producer and that’s what I hope to be going forward.”
Hampton said he initially enrolled at Berkley because the school offered top-tier academics and schools.
He said the experience on the West Coast helped him grow up.
Hampton transferred to FIU after spending two years in California to be closer to home.
He said playing under Panthers’ head coach Mervyl Melendez helped him develop into the player he is today.
“He gave me the opportunity to grow, play in front of my family and become a captain on his team,” Hampton said. “It was one of the best experiences of my career to play for him.”
His last at bat for the Panthers came on senior day when he hit a walk off solo blast to left field against Louisiana Tech.
“It was an emotional day, but one I’ll never forget,” he said.
Hampton finished his college career with a .278 batting average, 30 runs, 49 hits, nine home runs and 35 RBI.
He said he hopes to get called up to the main roster for the Marlins someday but he must improve his skills in the organizations’ Gulf Coast League.
Hampton said his parents were his biggest cheerleaders in Little League, high school, college and now the minor league.
“They sacrificed everything they could for me throughout the years,” he said. “Everything I do, I do it for them.”