Former Red Devil star puts team first while impressing for Brewers' farm system
Hinsdale's Luke Adams was showing off his baseball prowess as a Little Leaguer at Peirce Park before making a name for himself within the Milwaukee Brewers' organization. One of the team's top prospects, Adams was been dubbed the "toughest guy on the team" by his Wisconsin Timber Rattlers teammates for his willingness to absorb hits by wayward pitches and reach base. (photo courtesy of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Jim Slonoff photo)
Hinsdale native Luke Adams wasn't sure what to expect in the July 2022 Major League Baseball amateur draft. He'd developed a connection with Milwaukee Brewers during his senior year at Hinsdale Central, but Adams also had committed to play at Michigan State University.
Adams watched day one of the draft, then day two without hearing his name and felt resigned to put his pro dreams on the bench.
But day three delivered a curveball.
"I was just drinking a smoothie and watching 'Shark Tank,' " Adams, then 18, said when he received a call from the Brewers about taking him in the 12th round. "That was a pretty cool feeling."
Adams now had his own trajectory-altering choice to make while waiting more than a week for a contract offer.
"For that 10-day period, I had no idea if I was going to school or sign (a contract)," Adams recounted.
Following a flurry of conversation with both Michigan State and Brewers officials, the faith-driven slugging third baseman took the big league leap.
"The way I looked at it, I got an opportunity and I was very blessed to get drafted," Adams said. "It felt like what I was most comfortable doing. Right when I got to pro ball that week, I never looked back."
He headed straightaway to rookie ball in Arizona where, after a slow start while adjusting to the caliber of play, a weak broken-bat single in his seventh at bat got him on base.
"My next at-bat I hit a 105(-mph) double off the wall," related Adams, going on to hit .375 with an eye-popping .563 on-base percentage in 32 plate appearances.
The next spring he was promoted to the Low-A affiliate Carolina Mudcats, where he again demonstrated an unusual combination of power, base-stealing ability and plate discipline. He led the team in RBIs (54), runs (74) and walks (76).
"I pride myself in having a good eye (at the plate). I really don't try to chase, and I like to work counts," Adams said.
He also placed second in home runs (14) and stolen bases (30), a collection of glittering stats that earned him a Carolina League All-Star nod and promotion to the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Appleton for the 2024 season.
Adams, now 20, was stoked to return to his Midwest roots.
"My parents (Dan & DeAnn) were able to make it to most weekend series games," he said.
The chilly early-season conditions are not the most conducive to swings with a heavy wooden bat, he acknowledged, but soon enough Adams was heating up. He paced the team in home runs (11) and walks (78) and was named Midwest League Player of the Month for July as recognition for a particularly prolific stretch - including an Independence Day grand slam.
"It was pretty cool seeing fireworks on the Fourth of July," he said. "That was one of my favorite moments of the year."
Adams' play was a big reason the Rattlers reached the playoffs, earning a first-round series against Quad Cities. A victory in the first game meant they would advance with a win at home, and a two-run blast by the 6-foot-4-inch Adams early in the game gave fans reason to hope. But by the bottom of the 9th inning the Rattlers were down 4-6. They rallied with two runs, setting the stage for Adams' two-out heroics. With a man on second he flared a single to right to bring home the series-clinching score. The stadium erupted and Adams rounded first and ran full speed toward the outfield fence to unleash a YouTube-popularized "Boom or Doom!" celebration.
"You've got to have visualization and positive thinking," he commented. "I just said, 'Hey, I'm going to get up here and I'm going to win this game.' "
Battling through hitting slumps and injuries goes with the territory, Adams said. And he may be especially prone to the latter due to his penchant for getting hit by pitches, 43 times during the season to be exact, a new league record and nearly 10 percent of his at bats.
"I've always been taught to stay in there, it's a free on-base." he said of his approach. "I was super-fortunate that it never set me out for too long."
Adams said he has a lot of room for growth, looking to focus on his fielding footwork in the offseason and stay in shape under the guidance of his trainers. He also plans to take in some Chicago Bears games.
Living in team-furnished housing during the season helps keep his focus on the field should he be promoted again come spring.
"On the road we stay in hotels and get pre-game meals, post-game meals, meal money for the week," he explained.
Adams, now one of the Brewers top young prospects, credits God for providing him the tools to make the most of his journey. Staying humble helps, too, like remembering that broken-bat single back in Arizona that ignited an offensive explosion.
"I look back every once I while and think, 'Where would I be if that at-bat never happened?' "
