Inside MLB’s Dream Series, where 7 Illinois high school players spent 4 days at the annual showcase for diversity programs

Over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend in January, 80 of the nation’s top amateur baseball players — including seven from Illinois — attended Major League Baseball’s Dream Series at Tempe Diablo Stadium, the spring training home of the Los Angeles Angels.

The four-day, invitation-only event annually showcases a growing number of diversity programs aimed at increasing Black participation in the sport. The Dream Series, which was established in 2017, is operated by MLB and USA Baseball and is designed to further develop the skills of pitchers and catchers.

“It was born from a conversation in an article Dave Stewart had with Bob Nightengale in USA Today regarding the lack of Black pitchers and catchers in the game,” Tony Reagins, MLB’s chief baseball development officer, told the Tribune. “I read that article and felt like in order for us to do something about that problem, we needed to do something about it at the youth level.

“The concept of the Dream Series is focused around Black pitchers and catchers and around MLK weekend and Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream for our country. And so those elements — combined with Arizona being the last state to adopt the MLK holiday — we decided to put it in Arizona.

“Major League Baseball is really providing a dream opportunity for young men to be the best that they can be both on the field and off the field.”

This year’s Dream Series included seven high school players from Illinois:

•Adison Worthman, OF, Bloomington: Class of 2023, signed with Missouri

•Dillon Head, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor: 2023, signed with Clemson

•Zion Rose, C, IMG Academy (formerly Brother Rice): 2023, signed with Louisville

•Sir Jamison Jones, C, St. Rita: 2024, committed to Illinois State

•Kevari Thunderbird, LHP, Kenwood: 2024, committed to Eastern Kentucky

•Justyn Hart, LHP/1B, Marian Catholic: 2024, committed to Missouri

•Brandon Stinson, C, Kenwood: 2025, undecided

Dream Series participants receive what Reagins called “a big-league experience.” They stay in a hotel, practice and train at a major-league facility and receive instruction from current and former major-league players. All of the players’ expenses are paid for.

“My ego almost goes out the window when I show up to these events, especially Dream Series, because everyone is on the same level as you,” Hart said. “Everyone is trying to get to the same goal, so all of the players click immediately.

“There was no awkwardness or shyness with any of the players when I was in Arizona. We practiced and worked out from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., so it felt like an actual week of spring training at a professional level. They talk to you and treat you like professional athletes.”

Head, a top-50 prospect for the 2023 draft, called this year’s event “bittersweet” because it was his last opportunity but said he’s grateful for the experience, instruction and relationships he has built over the years.

All of the Dream Series athletes have been involved in baseball since they were toddlers. Players are recommended by scouts and community organizations around the country that have relationships with MLB. Some are recommended by friends and family, including via video submissions.

Notable attendees this year included Cincinnati Reds pitchers Hunter Greene and Justin Dunn, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell, former Chicago Cubs shortstop Shawon Dunston and Chicago White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams.

“We’ve been through a few iterations of it, and each year we think that we’ve improved the experience,” Reagins said. “We had some twists this year. Hunter Greene had the kids over to his home for dinner. And the kids got to play and prepare for their seasons.

“That’s really what the goal of the Dream Series is, to really prepare them to fulfill their dreams of being baseball players and to prepare developmentally for the season.”

In addition to the surprise visit to Greene’s home, players took batting practice to the sound of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and attended seminars on King, Jackie Robinson and other trailblazers. Though baseball was at the event’s center, the seminars were meant to tie in history with the sport’s legacy.

“From this experience I learned that you can never take playing the game of baseball for granted,” Hart said, “because you never know when it is the last time you step on the field or you can throw a ball or swing a bat. I also learned that you have to play this game with passion and you can’t let your emotions get the best of you. You’ve got to stay humble or the game will personally humble you itself.”

Jones said the experience allowed him to learn from not only the coaches, but also his peers.

“It’s not every day that you get to miss school to go play the game that you love,” Jones said. “From the baseball aspect, I picked up more great tools from the legendary Mike Scioscia and all the catching coaches at the camp.

“One quote that has really stuck with me was from Shawon Dunston’s speech where he said, ‘Play the game like a marathon, not a race.’”

Jones, Hart, Worthman and Thunderbird were members of the White Sox teams that won 2022 RBI World Series championships — Hart and Worthman in the senior division and Jones and Thunderbird in the junior division. Hart pitched a no-hitter in his team’s first game to set the tone for the tournament.

Hart, Jones, Thunderbird and Stinson also played together in the Field of Dreams youth game in 2021 for the White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) team.

The players from Illinois said they appreciated the break from the January cold and snow in Arizona. They talked about lessons learned from professionals they previously had admired from afar. They left with keys for how to continue to excel at their positions — and also with friends they hope one day to see in the big leagues.

For the seven players representing Illinois, the Dream Series was truly that.