Bayliss Turns Trin into a Hot Spot for Major League Scouts
Issue date: 4/16/02 Section: Sports
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The flame-throwing righthander has taken an unusual route to becoming a pro prospect, but nonetheless has still developed into one of the region's top prospects. Growing up in Williamstown, Ma and coming from Lawrence Academy it seemed unlikely that Jonah would become a baseball star. By his own admission coming out of high school it did not seem possible that he would be selected in the MLB draft. As a child, baseball was not even his top interest. "I always dreamed of being in the NHL," said Bayliss, and attending a hockey powerhouse such as Lawrence Academy an NHL dream seemed much more likely than a career in baseball.
Bayliss attended Lawrence Academy for his junior and senior years of high school. At Lawrence Academy Jonah's interest in baseball began to peak as his playing time on the ice began to wane. Jonah began to take a leadership role on the baseball field. Ever since he was young, Jonah was always able to throw the ball harder than the other kids on his team, and things were no different at Lawrence Academy, as Bayliss jumped right in at the head of the team's rotation.
As well as pitching, Jonah also played second base and right field. During his junior year Bayliss earned All-ISL honors. While playing that summer Jonah's fastball was clocked at 86 mph, but due to his control programs he did not receive any attention from big time baseball programs.
Coming back for his senior year Bayliss continued to lead Lawrence Academy on the baseball diamond. In his final season Jonah hit .517, while going 5-1 on the mound. For his efforts he was named All-ISL for the second year in a row and was also the runner-up for league MVP honors.
A Williamstown native, it would seem natural that Bayliss would have wanted to attend Williams, but this was not the case. Jonah did not even apply to his hometown college. Instead, he opted to attend Trinity, as Jonah was unable to pass on the opportunity to reunite and play baseball with his older brother Jarrett.
As a freshman at Trinity, Bayliss immediately jumped into a starting role on the mound. "Freshman year was fun, I had no real responsibility. I just went out there and threw," said Bayliss. No longer playing the field he focused solely on pitching. Jonah enjoyed success as a weekday starter, but still did not put much work in off the field.
After freshman year Jonah played for the Manchester Silkworms of the NECBL, a wooden bat league sponsored by MLB, which recruits players from all around the country. Working as a reliever Jonah had a successful summer and improved his arm-strength to the point where his fastball was clocked at 90 mph. It was during this summer that Jonah started to become more dedicated to baseball. "I started to realize that I could do alright, even when I played against kids from all over the country," Jonah commented.
Coming back to Trinity in the fall, Jonah had a new sense of confidence. He decided to dedicate himself to a rigorous off-season workout program. In search of a workout partner he had to look no further than his older brother Jarrett. Working out with Jarrett, Jonah's dedication was now on par with his talent level.
"Whether he knew it or not he always pushed me," said Jonah commenting on his older brother. Bayliss continued, "I owe a lot of my accomplishments to my parents and my family. I really don't know where I'd be without them."
Entering last year's baseball season Jonah was reaping the benefits of his off-season workouts. His fastball was now consistently around 92-93 mph and some scouts were beginning to take notice, though most were not coming to games to see him. "There was some interest, but it was mostly just scouts walking by or guys who had come to see someone else play," stated Bayliss.
During his sophomore season, Jonah compiled a record of 5-2 with a 3.72 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 46 innings. Despite holding opponents to a .179 batting average, control continued to be a problem for Bayliss giving up 43 walks and uncorking 12 wild pitches in his 46 innings of work.
That summer Jonah once again played for the Silkworms of the NECBL. Bayliss continued to improve he improved his control somewhat and continued to reach the low to mid 90's on the radar gun. He had a successful summer compiling a 2.92 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 49.1 innings of work. His efforts were good enough to him a spot in the 2001 NECBL All-Star game. At that game Jonah pitched two innings in front of scouts from all 30 Major League teams. His performance in this game was an eye opener for many scouts who had not seen him play before. Jonah's fastball was clocked between 92-95 mph during the performance, with the majority registering in the 94-95 mph range. This performance earned Jonah invitations to five private MLB workouts.
Having attracted the attention of scouts with his arm-strength, many scouts advised Jonah to focus on his command and the development of his other pitches. This fall Jonah did just that, worrying more about location than velocity. "I used to just wing it, now I try to pitch when I'm out there," said Bayliss.
Entering this season there has been an almost circus like atmosphere around Jonah's starts. At his first start, 25 of the 30 major league teams were represented when he struck out 11 in a four-hit shutout of Babson. During that game Jonah's fastball was clocked at 97 mph.
Jonah's success has only continued, as last week he threw a no-hitter against Bates. Jonah is 4-1 on the year with an ERA just over 3. He has struck out 52 in 35 innings, but the most impressive stat is that he has only allowed 12 walks to go along with his 52 strikeouts. Coming into this weekend Jonah ranked second in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings. He has improved his slider and changeup and is now working on a cutter as well. "My off-speed pitches have come a long way," said Bayliss.
This improved command and the development of his off-speed pitches should only serve improve his position in the June MLB draft.
While it may seem strange for a division III player to be garnering so much attention it is far from unheard of. NESCAC players have been drafted as high as the fourth round in recent years, though the majority that have selected have gone much later.
Bayliss believes he would not be getting drafted if he had attended a big time program. "If I had gone to a big time school I probably would have blown my arm out. Going to a NESCAC school allowed me to work on what I needed to work on. I was able to get innings and develop as a pitcher."
If all goes well, Jonah will have to decide if he wants sign on with the Major League team that drafts him, while his fellow classmates will be trying to decide on careers or grad schools this summer. For now, though, that is an afterthought as the junior is focused on helping Trinity qualify for the NCAA's.
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