Jake Alu is becoming the Ross Colton of Major League Baseball.
Which is pretty cool for the former Princeton Day School baseball teammates.
If anyone understands about battling the odds to make it big, it’s Colton. The Robbinsville native went from the 118th player taken in the 2016 NHL draft to inking a $4 million deal with the Colorado Avalanche this summer.
Ross knows what it takes, and feels Jake has what it takes. Alu finally realized his MLB dream after being called up to the Washington Nationals on Aug. 1
Alu actually got the call three previous times this season, but lasted no longer than a week in any one stint before being sent back to Triple A Rochester. On Aug. 1, however, he returned to the nation’s capital and has stayed long enough to visit the Smithsonian and see the Lincoln Memorial.
Through Aug. 21, the Hamilton native was batting .239 with a double, home run and nine RBI as the Nats second baseman against right-hand pitching. He also played three games at third and four in leftfield, as his versatility has helped him advance.
Considering Jake was the 723rd player chosen in the 2019 draft, it is being hailed as an “Underdog Makes It Big” story.
Colton doesn’t buy that.
“To some others it might seem like he was an underdog, but I’m not remotely surprised Jake was able to climb the ladder and get to where he is at,” the 2021 Stanley Cup hero said. “Similar to me, we were both late round draft picks who had to overcome a lot in the minor leagues to make it.
“It’s a real testament to his character and the hard work he puts into it. Playing baseball with him in high school, he was always a consistent hitter and someone who always put in the work to get better. I consider Jake a great friend and it’s awesome to see him achieve his dream of making it to the MLB.”
Hamilton resident Cole McManimon, also an Alu teammate at PDS, was thrilled to watch him in person at Citizens Bank Park in early August.
“Seeing Jake play was awesome,” McManimon said. “Growing up playing baseball with him and following him at Boston College and through the minors has been a thrill. I could not be happier for him.”
Alu is pretty happy himself, and didn’t get frustrated during his early elevator rides up to Washington and down to Rochester. “It’s mostly when guys get injured, or the 27th man on a doubleheader day,” Alu said in a phone interview from D.C. “It’s a bunch of factors. You just gotta be as ready as any guy on the 40-man (roster) to bounce up and down.”
But he was never told if he would stay up for long.
“They call you up and whatever happens, happens,” Alu said. “More or less you just try to take it one day at a time. If I started going over it in my head and just started to think about a bunch of different things, it’s really hard. I try to just take it one step at a time.”
At the time of his August promotion, the 26-year-old was tied for first among Nationals minor leaguers with 22 doubles and ranked third in the system in hits (90), fifth in runs (48), sixth in average (.293), seventh in OPS (.777) and RBI (43), eighth in slugging percentage (.420) and extra-base hits (28) and 10th in on-base percentage (.357). He also led all minor leaguers — both infield and outfield — with 17 defensive runs saved according to Baseball Info Solutions.
Despite his stats, Alu was not stressing about getting the call.
“I learned from last year to this year that if you start thinking about it and you start getting frustrated with it, it affects your game and affects you mentally,” he said. “You gotta do your best to try to stay clear of all that stuff. I can’t emphasize that enough.
“If anybody else was in a situation like that I’d tell them the same thing. I know it’s frustrating, you just gotta keep your head down and do what you gotta do. You’ll get your opportunity as long as you’re doing good and putting up numbers.”
The former Nottingham Little League star was on a yo-yo in May and July, getting called up on May 8, sent down on May 15, called up on May 17 and sent down on May 19. He was later promoted on July 15 only to be reassigned one day later.
When the Nats traded third baseman Jeimer Candelario, Jake figured he had a shot to go up and stay up.
“I had a few coaches talk to me about it after the trade deadline with all that stuff happening,” Alu said. “They were saying ‘You’re the guy, you’re gonna get your opportunity. Keep your head down and just stay focused.’ That’s about all I could do. You gotta let things fall into place.”
McManimon knew that Alu would continue to grind until he either made it or got sent packing.
“Growing up, Jake was always one of the best, if not the best player on the field,” the former Lehigh pitcher said. “He could play multiple positions at a high level and he batted leadoff for a lot of really good Nottingham, PDS and Gallagher teams.
“It wasn’t until he got to Boston College that he had to fight his way into the lineup. I remember some conversations we had about it during our freshman year. He didn’t like to watch from the dugout when he had a uniform on, so when he got his opportunity, he made the most of it and wound up having a successful career at BC. Jake was always coachable, and he took pieces of advice from every coach that helped him improve his game along the way.”
McManimon added that Alu was the best teammate you could have, and the worst opponent.
“Jake was the type of guy who you loved playing with, and hated playing against,” he said. “We played on different little league teams, but we ultimately became teammates at age 13 with the Burlington Blaze and continued in high school at PDS and with Dave Gallagher’s travel team. As his teammate, I always felt comfortable on the mound with Jake playing shortstop behind me because he could make all of the plays. No moment was ever too big for him.”
Since his most recent recall, Alu hit safely in eight of his first 14 games. He had three two-hit efforts, three two-RBI games and slammed his first MLB home run against Oakland Aug. 11. His average went as high as .286 and as low as .220.
“I definitely haven’t felt great at the plate, it’s kind of been a grind so far,” Alu said. “A lot of baseball is kind of just surviving until you feel good. That’s how I went about my career.”
A highlight of his young career came on the Nationals three-game trip to Philadelphia. Alu grew up a Phillies fan, and he and McManimon played travel ball with Phils broadcaster Tom McCarthy’s son, Tommy. The three of them visited the announcer’s booth when they were young.
Thus, when Alu’s first at-bat at Citizens Bank Park resulted in a single off Zach Wheeler, the large Hamilton/Mercer County entourage in attendance went wild.
“It was fantastic,” Alu said. “Tom McCarthy ended up getting that ball for me from my first hit at Citizens Bank. He had Zach actually sign it for me. It was pretty cool, having a bunch of family there, being close to home.
“A bunch of my friends and buddies came out. It was really special. Cole McManimon and Ross Colton came. It was fun for me. It’s pretty tough (getting together with Colton). We were best friends growing up, our seasons are at the exact opposite times so when I come home, he leaves and when he comes home I leave. So for him to come to the game was really cool. It brought the Hamilton crew back together.”
And for Alu, those are the important buddies he wants to share any success with. “It makes everything more special when the guys who have been with you from day one are there, rather than the ones picking up with you when you get up to pro ball,” he said. “Having guys who have seen you as a little kid with Nottingham Little League all the way coming up through the big leagues is pretty special.”
Since settling in with the Nats, Alu said slugging outfielder Lane Thomas has been a welcoming presence, and that outfielder Blake Rutherford got called up around the same time “so it’s good that we’re sticking together. All the guys welcomed me with open arms.”
And he is excited about Washington’s future, as the Nationals have some talented young players.
“I think we’ve got some potential,” Alu said. “As of late, we’ve been doing pretty good and as the years go on, next year and the year after that, we’re gonna surprise and have a pretty damn good team.”
As for the difference between the minors and the majors, Alu said “One, you’re playing in front of a big crowd. And two, you have the pitching. You can’t take a play off. You don’t get any at-bats off. Every single guy’s a stud.”
So far Alu has been hanging in there. He has continued to field well and has had enough mini-hot streaks to keep him in the lineup.
And yet, the underdog mantle that he has worn so long, just won’t go away.
“It honestly makes me laugh,” he said. “I see articles written in the Washington Post and things about me and what people say, and they’re saying there’s always someone better coming up, there’s always another guy they’re waiting on. I’m just a placeholder and stuff like that.
“It used to get under my skin and give me a little bit of fire, now it’s all part of it. I’m used to it and it kind of just makes me chuckle.”
It is definitely a happy time for Alu. He enjoys the City of Washington and has rented a nice extended stay residence where he makes his “classic home cooked Italian meals.” He also cooks his own breakfast but other than that “I’ll just grab some Chipotle or something and figure it out from there.”
As for the reception Jake has gotten from Nationals fans, he thinks it has been pretty nice.
“I’d say so,” Alu said. “I know they definitely have their (favorite) guys who have been around for a while. Hopefully I can become one of them at some time.”
For now, he’s happy to have one faithful fan playing hockey in Colorado. And it’s a fan he can relate with.
Hamilton's Jake Alu in Major League action against the New York Mets. (Photo provided by the Alu family.),
