Inspired by mother, Palm Beach Gardens' Jayden Hylton rises as prospect for 2022 MLB Draft

Just two years ago, Jayden Hylton coasted south from New Jersey to Joe Russo Field, stealing as many hearts as bases upon arriving at Palm Beach Gardens High.

After becoming a Gators staple and with a pending collegiate career at Stetson, the Palm Beach Post's Baseball Player of the Year recently found himself swarmed by a social media buzz following a head-turning performance at the MLB Draft Combine.

The Top 50 prospect – the No. 1 first baseman in the 2022 recruiting class and a member of the San Francisco Giants scout team – had one of the highest hard-hit percentages out of prospects from both varsity and college ranks.

Eighteen of 24 balls hit by Hylton fired off with an exit velocity of at least 95 miles an hour, ranking ninth out of 52 players.

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After finishing his 30-yard dash at the San Diego Padres' Petco Park, the 6-foot-6, 210 pound Hylton schmoozed with – and towered over – the Combine's live broadcast crew, who complimented a speedy improvement for his final time – 3.7 seconds.

"A big guy like me, you don't really expect me to move, but I can move," Hylton told the commentators.

Clips of Hylton drilling highlighted the MLB Network's social media feeds, ranging from Instagram to Twitter, proving him an early fan favorite.

"My dream is to play in MLB. Everything that comes with that, including media, is just extra when getting on the big stage is my goal," Hylton said of the increasing celebrity.

"When I came to Florida in 2021, I began getting more recognition than I was getting in New Jersey the seasons prior."

Hylton thrilled by a more active, competitive baseball scene, his first summer in South Florida saw showcase invitations flooding his inbox, including the opportunity to try out for Team USA.

On top of qualifying and competing last September, Hylton was selected to join USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline: several invitation-only events held in conjunction with Major League Baseball, where the country's top amateurs undergo a series of "comprehensive evaluations" and receive "other relevant resources to aid players and families in navigating the amateur baseball experience."

"I feel like making Team USA was the beginning of my story being amplified," Hylton said.

That fuel providing Hylton near-instant results gave Gardens its "guy" who sent the Gators to the Final Four for the first time since 2012, their 22-8 run ending in the Class 7A state championship game.

In his final preps season, Hylton hit .438 with 40 runs on 39 hits and 22 RBI and led the team with 29 stolen bases. He stuffed the stat-sheet with 10 double plays and a fielding percentage of .979.

Yet, it's not the thrill of crossing home or putting out the opposition that sparks Hylton's fire.

"He's a kid that lost his mom that's trying to do the best he can so that others can follow him," said Robert Hylton, Jayden's father.

In a recent episode of the Whistle YouTube series No Days Off presented by Gatorade, the father-son duo sat down to talk about how the younger Hylton rose above adversity to be one of the nation's most elite infielders and all-around baseballers.

Hylton's mother was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2011, her battle ending in six months despite life-saving efforts of radiation and chemo, at the least "just hoping for the best."

Hylton was eight years old, the youngest of three brothers.

"It took me a few years to really notice what happened – my mom's not there anymore," Hylton said.

"Jayden's inner strength has helped him really adjust to some of his failures in the game," Max Rioz, a hitting and fielding coach at Cressey Sports Performance, said, foreseeing Hylton being a "30/30 hitter" in the big leagues.

"I know, in her heart, that she wants me to do everything 100 percent and don't give up – knowing that you're going out there and you're going to overcome the failure because baseball is a game of failure," Hylton said of his mother.

Before Hylton approaches the plate, he writes his mother's initials, 'C.A.H.,' boldly in the red sand bordering his dugout's baseline, underlining the letters with his bat.

"His inner strength – I think his mom instilled that in him from the beginning," the elder Hylton said.

Hylton recalled his first district final with the Gators, a 3-0 championship victory over Palm Beach Central in the 11th inning.

"I was going 0-for-4. I get up. I get down to an 0-1 count. Next pitch I hit a home run to win – the first thing I do is thank her and everything," Hylton said, adding he's "always looking back to her."

"God willing, I get on a larger platform and will be able to honor her on a larger scale, I would love to honor her and raise money and awareness for cancer," Hylton told the Post.

"I don't know that I've ever experienced a teenager with that type of maturity as an athlete," Gardens head coach Matt Judkins said. "You can tell he's not okay with failure, but he understands the process and that there's more to it than just the simple result in a high school game.

"Even though he's a two-year guy that moved here from New Jersey, that's going to be one thing that's going to be hard to replace. Not just the talent, but just his leadership."

Still, the new era of Gator baseball will feel the lasting impact of Hylton's preps legacy and the trajectory of his career – whether it be to Stetson with his brother or the Show.

"Keep on finding ways to become the best person out there," Hylton said. "What's inside me is inside you, too.

Emilee Smarr can be reached at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Gardens’ Jayden Hylton rises as prospect for 2022 MLB Draft