At 6 months old, he went through a 10-hour surgery. Now this junior leads SBR baseball
SOMERSET — Jayden Cruz's love for baseball runs deep within.
Since the age of 5, the Somerset Berkley shortstop worked hard every day to hone his craft for his favorite sport on the diamond. However, there was a moment in time when the Raiders junior almost did not get the opportunity to enjoy his boyhood dream.
Cruz was diagnosed with craniosynostosis — a disorder of the joints between an infant's skull — at three months old. During birth, two plates that made up his forehead were already fused together, which meant his head was going to grow, but his forehead would not.
At six months old, it was safe for Cruz to undergo surgery to correct the problem. The procedure was successful but not before he endured 10 hours of surgery and three blood transfusions at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence.
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His mom — Nicole — moved into the hospital for six days until Cruz was eventually released. Doctors were hopeful that as the Somerset resident grew in age, his head would grow normally. But playing sports was questionable, anything that could caused an impact would be scary.
Thankfully for Cruz, 17, everything grew the way it was supposed to and he's been playing baseball since.
"My skull wasn't grown correctly," Cruz said. "I got that surgery at six months and [then] just fell in the love with the game. I've been playing ever since and getting better every single day. I'm just trying to help my team win anyway I can."
Cruz said at first it wasn't the same playing baseball like other kids.
"I had to work a lot harder and had to be more resilient and stay consistent," he said. "I could not fall behind."
It wasn't until Cruz played baseball for the Swansea Independent Baseball League where he began to feel more comfortable with his skills.
"I use to go to the field every weekend," Cruz said. "I practiced all the time, whenever it was nice out and early mornings. Dad (Louis) always woke me up early. Sometimes, it pissed me off but it paid off in the end."
First-year SBR head coach Jason Martin said he thinks very highly of Cruz.
"Jayden in my opinion, if he's not the best shortstop in the area, he's damn close," Martin said. "He's been great with me and I think we have a really solid relationship. He's one of those kids that says, yes coach, no coach and thank you coach. He's very respectful. He's dymanic as anything and he's got all the tools. I think if he keeps his head on straight he can play at any level he wants."
Cruz played JVs for the Raiders his freshman year. In his sophomore season, the strong-armed shortstop moved up to the varsity level to take over at shortstop where he batted .319. Cruz had an on-base percentage of .836 with five doubles, a .901 fielding percentage (71 chances), drove in nine runs, scored 12 time and drew six walks. He was named a Herald News second team All-Scholastic.
Currently through five games in 2024, he has four hits and has swiped a team-leading five bases.
Cruz says he is forever thankful for the doctors and the surgeries that they can perform today's world. If it wasn’t for them, he wouldn’t be able to play the sport that he loves most. Now, Cruz is hungry for more.
"I'm very pleased with on how far I've come," he smiled. "From six months old with head surgery to now. Playing high school baseball and starting varsity. I'm excited to see how our team will do this year and how I can help my team."
Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Chezsports
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Somerset Berkley Regional's Jayden Cruz has overcome the odds
