A slow roller down the third base line was all Perry Hall baseball coach Joe Carlineo needed to see.
It happened four years ago during tryouts, an intrasquad game with then-freshman AJ Mendoza on the mound.
“He slid from his knees like a catcher would and with his shoulders squared toward first base, gunned the kid out,” Carlineo said. “Right then, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this kid is something special.’”
Ever since, Mendoza, a senior who also plays shortstop, has been proving Carlineo right.
Whether pitching, at the plate, in the field or on the bases, Mendoza is always ready to make a difference for the Gators, who are 6-6 this season.
His career numbers tell a sensational story.
As a pitcher, he’s 10-2 with an ERA well under 2.00. At the plate, he’s led the Gators in batting each of his first three seasons, hitting .464 with 70 runs and 52 RBIs. He’s stolen 64 bases.
“Baseball is really everything to me,” he said. “I grew up with baseball since I was 3, so I really have so much love and passion for it. It’s the only thing I want to do.”
What Carlineo saw four years ago, Mendoza’s father, Alex, saw long ago.
“When AJ started walking, I saw him hitting everything with a stick, with a bat, anything,” Alex said. “So I told him to stand right here and he stood like a baseball player. I pitched him a big beach ball and he hit it. I threw him a smaller ball and he hit it. After that, I was like, ‘I got a baseball player.’”
Mendoza is most at home on the mound, where he is 3-1 with a 1.94 ERA this season. With a fastball reaching 88 mph to go with a slider, changeup and curveball, the 17-year-old embraces the challenge that comes with facing batters who often end up overmatched.
“I like pitching because of the one-on-one competition and I feel like nobody can mess with me. I’m just confident,” he said.
By his side for most of his playing days has been his older brother, Santana, a catcher who played for the Gators. During his days behind the plate at Perry Hall, Santana got the responsibility of calling pitches when his younger brother was on the mound.
“We’re only 11 months apart, so I feel like we’re basically twins,” AJ said. “Every sign he gave me was exactly what I wanted to pitch. He knows my game, we’ve been playing together since we were 3, so he knows exactly what I need to throw and that’s helped me become successful.”
Mendoza’s competitiveness, game sense and ability to impact a game in so many ways makes him one of the area’s most complete players. He once stole five bases in a game. On the mound, has a devastating pickoff move. And he’s smooth with his glove at shortstop.
“He’s just nonstop doing something every single day, and I say time and again, ‘Wow, this kid is special,’” Carlineo said.
Hereford coach Brad Duvall can attest.
“He can beat you with his bat, his speed, with his glove, with his arm,” he said. “And when it comes to his baseball knowledge, he’s always looking for the edge and always trying to figure out how he’s going to get you next. He’s just a crafty, intelligent baseball player that’s fun to watch.”
A “B” student, Mendoza is set to play at Harford Community College, hoping to jump-start a potential professional career.
“They get a lot of looks from colleges and they help you get bigger and stronger, and proceed on the field. So it’s a good opportunity to get way more looks in the future,” he said.
Mendoza’s immediate attention is focused on getting Perry Hall ready for another long playoff run. Last season, the Gators reached the Class 4A state quarterfinals, falling to three-time defending state champion Sherwood, 1-0.
“We have to execute, play as a team,” he said. “I try to make sure my teammates are doing well, nobody has their heads down even if they make a bad play and execute at the end of the day.”