HOLYOKE – After last season’s NECBL West Division championship, the Valley Blue Sox are returning for the 2024 season with almost an entirely new roster of collegiate players ready to develop their games over 44 games this summer.

The Blue Sox season opens on the road against the North Shore Navigators on Tuesday at 11:05 a.m. and the home opener is set for Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke. Every Blue Sox home game this season will be available on ESPN-Plus.

President Matt Drury and manager Pedro Santiago return for their third seasons with the Blue Sox and first-year general manager Brandon Seymour joins an experienced staff that includes baseball operations director and Elms College head coach John Raiola, who has spent over a decade in the league. Granby baseball head coach Jim Woods is also assisting the team and has been involved in the NECBL for nearly 20 years.

“It’s a very athletic team as usual,” Santiago said. “We’ve got the two or three best guys on a team, and you put those together and you’ve got nine of them in the lineup. Really, really good All-Star caliber guys, so that’s exciting.”

The Blue Sox roster 35 players from Hampshire County all the way to Canada and the West Coast. Four Blue Sox players hail from Massachusetts – including Granby alum and current UMass catcher Mike Toth – but 18 other states are represented.

Toth went to at least five Blue Sox games every summer growing up.

“We used to sit up on the hill and watch it happen,” Toth said. “To me, these were grown men playing pro ball, it was so cool to see that. Now to be a part of it seems kind of surreal.”

West Springfield grad and Eastern Connecticut State pitcher Chris Torres is another player who’s been coming to games since he was young. His grandparents live in Holyoke, and he said he’s watched nearly every Blue Sox game the past six years. Though the vast majority of the Blue Sox players stay with host families around Hampshire County, Torres said he appreciates being local.

“The host families here are the nicest people around,” Torres said. “But being able to sleep in my own bed at night is the best thing ever.”

Eastern Michigan outfielder Logan Hugo is staying with a host family in Easthampton. It’s the Michigan native’s first time being in the northeast. He spent his past two summers playing in the Appalachian League (Johnson City Doughboys) and the Northwoods League (Wisconsin Rapids Rafters) and said he was excited to play with other experienced players in the NECBL. Hugo said most of the Blue Sox players have previous summer ball experience.

“I have never been out east,” Hugo said. “So to be able to see something new and also get the best exposure I can, that’s kind of why I came out here.”

Summer ball also affords the opportunity for players to meet other players from across the country. Hugo said he still keeps up with guys he played with or against in past summer leagues. By pure chance, a couple are even on the Blue Sox with him this year.

“It’s wild how it works. Such a small world,” Hugo said. “…it’s cool though, because you’re able to see what other guys are doing and see the success they’re having. It’s cool to meet everyone from all around the country.”

Through summer ball, players can work on developing certain aspects of their games in an environment without classes and other day-to-day commitments that come with school. 

“School, it can get stressful with the playoffs and everything going on, where summer ball, you just want to get better,” Hugo said. “Win, but get better, and that’s the opportunity summer ball gets you.”

Hugo said he wants to work on his baserunning this summer. He blew past his career-high with 18 stolen bases this past season and wants to run even more next year.

Pitchers often have specific parts of their game they want to improve as well. Woods said he often sees Blue Sox players tinker with pitches they want to use more in the upcoming college season.

And for Torres, that’s exactly what he’s planning on doing.

“I want to work on a sinker, that’s the one pitch,” Torres said. “So I have fastball, cutter, slider, curveball, changeup, so I think a sinker would really put that arsenal away.”

As soon as competition starts on Tuesday morning, the Blue Sox don’t get many practice days in. They’ll play five or six times a week until playoffs begin in early August. Some players have plans from their college coaches and others have plans from the Blue Sox staff. Regardless, Santiago said their goal is the same.

“Whatever they have to work on from their schools,” Santiago said. “They come here, learn about themselves, learn how they can get better, go out there next year and have a very good season.”