Nick Zammarelli III

I first heard his name when he was dominating at Lincoln High School. The Red Sox drafted him. Professional contract. Signing bonus. The dream.

Nick turned it down.

He went to Elon University to get better, to compete against the best, to prove he belonged.

In 2014, my wife Monique and I moved back to Lincoln. Ironically, a couple houses down lived Nick Zammarelli. Next thing I'm hearing, he was a Cape Cod League All-Star - where the best of the best compete.

After the Mariners drafted him in 2016, I reached out. I wanted to offer some advice, share what I wish I did right going into pro ball, answer questions if he had any. He was gracious enough to meet and I enjoyed learning about his story.

We built a relationship from there. I'd throw him batting practice whenever he was home, bringing my kids along to watch him hit. Nick was always good to my kids. The little things. The way he'd talk to them, acknowledge them, make them feel like they mattered. That's the stuff that tells you who someone really is.

I was pulling for Nick, hoping one day I'd see him in a big league uniform, living out his dream, playing amongst the best in the world.

Nick made it to AA - as most know, he was just one call away from the big leagues. Then COVID hit.

His path changed. But that's not what this story is about.

This is his story about trusting the process, competing every day, and what it really takes to make it. What really matters when the game is over.

And it’s not about showcases. It’s about being a ball player.

Nick’s Baseball Journey:

In this feature, Nick breaks down:

Here's our conversation.

Take us back to the beginning. When did you first fall in love with baseball?

Growing up in a baseball family, I had the love of the game since I was 3 years old. My dad played at Holy Cross, my 2 uncles at Providence College. We had a batting cage in the basement and backyard. I was obsessed with hitting. After practices I'd come home and immediately meet my dad in the cage for another 100 swings.

When I was born my father put a Ted Williams baseball card in my bassinet at the hospital. I just did the same with my son - a Nomar Garciaparra card when he was born this past March.

Looking back at your development, what was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome?

Being seen and playing against top competition. Rhode Island has good high school baseball, but you must perform and be seen.

Elon's recruiting coach watched me take one at bat and left. I was a sophomore in Florida, turned on a 96mph fastball and lined out to the second baseman. That's all he needed to see. Put yourself against the best - one at bat could change everything.

Who was the most influential person in your baseball journey?

My father. From day 1 he instilled this attitude: "No one cares, work harder".

I carried that my whole career. Have 15 D1 offers? No one cares, work harder. Drafted by the Red Sox out of high school? No one cares, work harder. That mentality taught me to never be complacent.

How did your parents support your baseball journey, and what did they do right?

My parents supported me and trusted everything I did. When I was going back and forth with the Red Sox before leaving for Elon, I looked at my dad and said, "What should I do?" His reply: "This is your call. There is no wrong answer."

In my head I said what the hell, help me out here. But they were right - there was no wrong answer.

My parents knew when to push and when to ease up. They knew when I wanted to put the bat down for hockey season. I never felt burnt out. They let me get better and stronger without being overbearing.

You made the Cape Cod League All-Star team - what was that experience like?

Hard to put into words. The Cape is very comparable to Double A ball, which as a sophomore in college is crazy. Every single day you're playing against the Friday night starters of their respective schools, first rounders, and absolute freaks on the field.

The Cape humbles you. It's the best of the best every single night and you cannot let your foot off the gas. That's where I learned that failure isn't actually failure - it's just an obstacle that makes you better and stronger.

Who were some of the players you played with and what separated them?

One of my best friends was Kyle Lewis, 2020 Rookie of the Year. I played with him on the Cape and we lived together in Phoenix during the offseason.

What stood out about Kyle is how intentional he is with his craft. He's never hitting cage bombs in practice. He worked line drives to the opposite field, line drives to the gap, throwing perfect one hoppers from the outfield - all while making everything seem effortless. Everyone can hit the ball 500 feet in a cage, but who can tone it back and consistently control the barrel and work the whole field?

You played with Julio Rodriguez - what was that like?

Julio is a class act on and off the field. Mind blowing how much of an athletic freak he was. Honestly one of the easiest guys to get along with in the clubhouse. He would walk in and yell "ZAMMARELLI" in his fake Italian accent while throwing the Italian hand gesture.

Julio's process and preparation was top tier. He knew what would lock him in physically and mentally, and every single day he trusted his process and was the best player and person he could be. The smile and attitude you see on TV isn't fake - that is genuinely him.

You made it to AA before COVID shut down the 2020 season. What was that moment like?

One of the toughest moments of my career. Going into spring training there were rumors I had a shot at starting the season in AAA. And if you're in AAA, anything can happen - next thing you know, you're in your big-league debut.

That spring training I was dressing for a lot of big-league games and getting some at bats. I had a lot of positive momentum that just suddenly came to a screeching halt.

About a month after being sent home, my phone rang. It was the minor league coordinator, and I had a gut feeling it wasn't going to be good. The business side of baseball is brutal.

He said they wished they could keep me but there were over 30 minor league teams being cut - about 1,600 players now jobless.

It's tough to say COVID ruined my baseball career, but everything happens for a reason. My career was one hell of a run.

Looking back on your entire playing career - what mattered most to your success?

Trusting myself and my abilities. Trust that all the practice you put in will pay off. My swing is always my swing, and it's a damn good one. This is the mentality that keeps you away from slumps and keeps you positive.

Ted Williams would walk up to the plate and tell himself he's the best hitter in the world. That's the kind of player and character you need to be.

What advice would you give to a 12-year-old player who dreams of playing college or pro ball?

Your dream can become a reality, but it's totally up to you. You must have the mentality that there's always someone better than you and they're coming for your job.

I come from a small town - Lincoln, RI - and went to public schools my whole life, but I made it happen. I always knew it didn't matter if I was the best in the state of RI because there was probably someone in Georgia or the Dominican who was better than me, and I wanted to be on their level. That's how I mentally pushed myself every day.

For the parents reading this - what's one thing you wish more parents understood about player development?

Players develop at their own pace. Some things you just can't rush or force. I cannot stress this enough.

Being the best player at 11 means nothing. I didn't start working out until my junior year of high school and now we have kids working out at 10 years old! Teach your son or daughter the mechanics and just keep working on them. Every day.

I wanted to hit every day of my life and without my parents that wouldn't have been possible. If your son or daughter has the passion, it's a lot of work for the parents to fuel that passion.

If you could go back and tell your younger self one thing about baseball and competition, what would it be?

Trust the process. The next pitch is far more important than the previous one. Don't get caught up in what happened in the past - be present and ready for what's to come.

Some of the best players around me had a "screw it" mentality. Struck out? Screw it, time to play the field because I know I have more at bats ahead of me. Don't be your own worst enemy - this game is hard enough as it is.

Most important: enjoy this game and have as much fun as possible. You don't realize it but while you're on the field, it's the best times of your life. When you're told to hang up your spikes, walk away knowing you gave everything you could every time you stepped on that field.

Anything else you want to share?

My biggest advice to any high school player: Go somewhere where you are going to play! Going to the #1 school in the country and getting 12 at bats a season won't make you better. Go somewhere you can play every day and really develop your skills.

Coach Kennedy told me I'd have the opportunity to earn a starting position as a freshman and that had me sold on Elon. If I wasn't going to play for Wake Forest or NC State, then I wanted to beat them. And we did. Elon is a mid-major surrounded by baseball powerhouses, so I knew our schedule was always going to be aggressive and push me to become better every single day. That's the kind of competitiveness I thrived on.

Final thought: Baseball is the greatest sport, and it is full of so many ups and downs.

Trust yourself, enjoy the ride, and when you hang those spikes up for the final time, smile because it happened and because you did the damn thing.

After Nick got drafted, I had a front-row seat to his pro journey from just a few houses down. I watched him grind through the minors, climbing toward the dream. Then COVID took it away when he was one phone call away from the big leagues.

"No one cares, work harder."

That's the mentality his father drilled into him from day one. Not as pressure, but as a reminder that you control your own development.

I love this mentality and I wish more parents like Nick's would teach their kids this.

This type of mentality is the true separator - not the perfect mechanics or how hard you can throw, but that bulldog mentality that will help you be successful in life, beyond baseball.

It doesn't surprise me that Nick got this from his father, who shares his name and his love for the game. He was a ballplayer, played at Holy Cross, he gets it.

That mentality isn't about never being satisfied. It's about never being complacent.

If you take one thing from Nick's story, take this:

Being the best 11-year-old means nothing. Players develop at their own pace.

What matters is whether your kid still loves the game at 17. Whether they've learned to trust themselves, handle failure, and keep competing.

Nick's parents supported his decision to turn down the Red Sox. They knew when to push and when to ease up. They let him play hockey for 15 years. They never made him feel burnt out.

That's your blueprint.

Nick made it to AA alongside future MLB stars. He stood in the weight room next to Nelson Cruz. He was roommates with the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year, Kyle Lewis. He was teammates with MLB superstar Julio Rodriguez.

When COVID took it all away, he walked away knowing he gave it his all, every time he stepped on that field.

That's what matters.

Not whether you made it to the big leagues. But whether you can smile when it's over because you did the damn thing.

And someday, Nick will pass that same mentality to his son Luca, just like his father did for him.

That's what it means to be a ball player and Nick proved it.

Help me keep more kids in the game. If you found this helpful, please forward it to another parent or coach.

Thanks for being here. See you next week Inside the Dugout.

-Coach Steve-

Steve Holmes
Founder, Inside the Dugout
2006 MLB Draft | All-American | Youth Coach | Dad