Josh Adamczewski said doubt has never crept into his mind.
But the 2023 Lake Central graduate also knows the road he’s on will test his patience.
“It’s going to be a long, hard process,” Adamczewski said. “You just have to believe in yourself and know why you’re there. You’re there for a reason.”
That’s the mindset guiding Adamczewski as he begins his first full year of professional baseball. He reported to the Milwaukee Brewers’ spring training facilities in Arizona on March 1.
Adamczewski was picked by the Brewers in the 15th round of the MLB draft last year after he hit .473 with nine home runs, six triples, 56 RBIs, 55 runs scored, 35 walks and a .632 on-base percentage as a senior for Lake Central. He had committed to Ball State but decided to turn pro and signed with the Brewers on July 25.
Adamczewski then played in the Arizona Complex League, the typical destination for professional rookies who were just drafted. Reminders that he was on another level were everywhere.
“You’re walking around next to grown men instead of kids,” he said. “Everyone there is great at what they do. That’s why they’re there. It took me about a month to fully settle in. I had to make some adjustments to my swing and some mental adjustments. It was a big process, but I’m settled in nicely now.”
As a late arrival to the ACL, Adamczewski made just eight plate appearances, drawing one walk, before the season ended in late August. He got more at-bats during fall baseball, although no stats were kept for those games, before he returned to Northwest Indiana for the winter.
Upon returning home, there were two new things everyone seemed to notice about Adamczewski. His father, John Adamczewski, explained one.
“He definitely got bigger,” John Adamczewski said. “It must’ve been all of that weight training they’ve had him doing.”
Lake Central coach Mike Swartzentruber noticed the same thing about his former player, even if those physical tools were prevalent when Josh Adamczewski was in high school.
“He was always active in our weight program at Lake Central, so he was always bigger and stronger for a high school kid,” Swartzentruber said. “But he’s filled out even more.”
The other change, as Swartzentruber noted, is likely the result of Adamczewski playing baseball as a full-time job.
“He’d always carried himself well as a high school kid,” Swartzentruber said. “He was starting to get a little professionalism to him then. But there was just a different demeanor about him, an even more professional attitude.”
Adamczewski took that professional approach back to Arizona, where he’ll be for the foreseeable future. But this season started with a mild setback. Adamczewski is getting treatment for a nagging back injury.
“It sucks missing your first spring training,” he said. “I just get to the facility every day by 7:30 (a.m.), sit in the rehab room, do all of my exercises, get in the hot tub or the cold tub — all of that.”
Once Adamczewski returns to full health, he said he will focus on earning a promotion to one of the Brewers’ Class A affiliates, which would be a tangible sign of progress.
“That would be one of my top goals for the season, to get out of Arizona as quick as possible,” he said. “That’s everyone’s goal when you’re out there. Wherever you go, you don’t want to stick in one spot for too long.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.
