Got Me in the Best Shape of My Life”: Swimming Helps 6′3″ Freshman in Becoming No. 5 Pick in MLB Draft 2023

18-year-old American Baseball outfielder Walker Jenkins slides as the top high schooler from Indiana’s Max Clark in the 2023 Draft. And now he is in the best prep position in North Carolina baseball. The young star was named the Gatorade North Carolina Baseball Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023. He is the only player after Josh Hamilton to put the North Carolina high school map in MLB. 

Jenkins’ extraordinary speed has always helped enhance his range in the center field and defense division. And according to the MLB, his arm strength can help him to fit in as the right fielder. Jenkins had to go through a procedure for hip infringement when he was a freshman at South Brunswick High School. So, the athlete started swimming to regain his smooth body movement since he could not perform any lower body activity.  

Swimming helped Walker Jenkins to retrieve body flexibility 

Minnesota Twins selected the athlete as the fifth draft for the MLB on Sunday. Besides his baseball career, Jenkins is unusually good at swimming. He got into the sport to get in shape but miraculously turned into a professional in it. The Twitter handle of Swim Swam recently tweeted about his hobby, where he asserted, “Swimming got me in the best shape of my life freshman year. Your body feels great after it. Your joints feel stronger, and you also build muscle. Swimming helps build up those little muscles you don’t use that can be helpful on the baseball field.”

The athlete competed in many styles including 50-yard freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 medley relay, and 200 free relay, in this season. This astounding performance of Walker Jenkins has stunned everyone in his South Brunswick including coach Nina McPherson. The coach later told the Wilmington Star News, “I’ve been coaching high school swim for almost 10 years, and it’s incredibly rare to see someone whose main sport isn’t swimming excel in it like Walker did.”

When Walker became healthy again in his sophomore year, he also took his chance at basketball before solely focusing on baseball. Now after such keen focus and dedication, Jenkins has one of the best swing drafts. 

The swing history of MLB Draft 5

In 2022, the 6’3 left-handed prep outfielder had hit .527 (49 for 93) in 30 games where more than half of his hits went extra bases. He also led some amazing conference home runs (10) and RBIs (40) before he was named Conference Player Of the Year. In the past spring, he hit .480 with 32 runs scored. His swings have impressed everyone including the Minnesota Twins. 

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Walker Jenkins has been well known for his sweet left-handed stroke that enhances the fastball catchups. Jenkins had an unparalleled speed but he took time to enhance his physical abilities after surgery and when he regained the strength and became a solid runner.  Now baseball fans across the world are excited to see their college champion playing in MLB. 

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