With the 2015 MLB Draft fast approaching, many of Baseball Factory’s players are one step closer to accomplishing their dream of making it to the big leagues.

(Mike Janes/Four Seam Images)

Alonzo Jones, Jr., the native of Columbus, Georgia, is a senior at Columbus High School and was a major reason why the Blue Devils baseball program finished 19-9 overall this season.  He is a terrific talent that has some of the best pure speed in this year’s draft class. He can hit for power from both sides of the plate and is incredibly versatile as a defender.

Jones, Jr. began his Baseball Factory experience during a National Tryout in Pensacola, FL back in 2013 and quickly displayed the talent we would later see as a 2014 Under Armour All-American. Jones recently shared his insights in a conversation with Baseball Factory as he prepares for one of the biggest days in his life.

Baseball Factory: How’s your wrist?

Alonzo Jones, Jr.: It’s good. Initially, I thought there was something wrong with my wrist, so I took a few weeks off to rest, received an MRI and revealed I had fractured my hamate bone. I had surgery on April 29 to remove the hamate bone in my right wrist. I just started the rehabbing process this past Monday and I’ve been on the field twice this week throwing the baseball but have not started hitting yet. That will be next week for me.

BF: Who do you model your game after?

AJ: I model my game after both Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen, because, for one, they’re pretty young which I can definitely relate to. They’re five-tool players who impact their teams offensively, defensively and with their speed. People come to the ballpark to watch them play.

BF: Favorite baseball team growing up?

AJ: The Atlanta Braves, mostly because they’re the hometown team, but, as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to like and respect the St. Louis Cardinals because they play well in big situations.

BF: What is the most prized autograph or piece of memorabilia you have?

AJ: This past Fall, I had the opportunity to meet and workout with former Cardinals great Ozzie Smith. He signed a baseball and my Cardinals hat. It meant a lot because he’s my favorite shortstop.

BF: If you had to choose one artist to listen to, who would it be?

AJ: It would be Drake – he’s really versatile, and has a wide range of style in his songs. You kind of get everything rolled into one with his music.

BF: Pick one superhero: Batman or Superman and why?

AJ: Batman. He doesn’t have to rely on superpowers to get by, he’s a master of many crafts and he’s intelligent. I’ve always been a fan.

BF: What did you think of your Baseball Factory experience?

AJ: The Baseball Factory experience gave me a taste of what the big leagues are like in terms of being around really good players all the time and just how the coaches and staff treated you overall.

BF: What is it like to travel around the country as a teenager playing baseball?

AJ: It’s a unique experience – especially in the summer. Most of my peers go to the beach or stay home, not a lot of people have the opportunity to travel in the summer, doing it allowed me to mature. It was also an experience being out on your own before college.

BF: If you didn’t play baseball, what would your career path be?

AJ: I’m a pretty good writer. Literature is my favorite subject so I would stick to the sports industry and do some writing there.

BF: What is one thing most people wouldn’t know about you?

AJ: I’m pretty good at playing the piano. I can play “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.”

BF: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?

AJ: Stick with the process. Don’t let anybody change who you are.