PASADENA, CA- In a world where home runs and hundred-mile-an-hour strikeouts increasingly dominate the highlight reel, what shortstop Tyler Gordon has done for the Arroyo Seco Saints this summer is poised to go under the radar.  

You won’t see it on the Saints social media and it won’t pop out to you in his statistics on Pointstreak or baseball reference. But fans who have watched the games live this summer know: he has been absolutely showstopping. What he has done cannot be allowed to be overlooked.  

So, without further ado, here’s a look at what makes Gordon one of the most special talents on the entire Saints roster.  

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When Tyler Gordon is in the Saints starting lineup, he hits last. This season, he’s batting .197 with only one extra base hit. Both of those tallies rank last for anyone who’s taken regular at-bats for the Saints this summer.  

Let’s get something out of the way now: Gordon isn’t a bad hitter. Sure, the stats this summer aren’t pretty. But summer ball is brief and flies by quickly; these numbers are in a very small sample size of 76 at-bats. It’s easy for the entire summer stat line to be pushed up or dragged down by one hot streak or one slump. The latter has haunted Gordon this season.  

His collegiate numbers give a better look at the hitter he really is: in 177 at-bats last season at Miami University (Ohio) he hit .294 with an OBP of .360. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s very good.  

Gordon’s a contact hitter with good speed, and he tries to play within that role at the plate.  

“I’m not going to hit too many doubles or home runs, so I’m just trying to get on base any way I can and then steal second,” Gordon said.  

Stolen bases is one offensive statistic that Gordon ranks highly in on the Saints leaderboard: he’s third on the team with nine thefts and he’s only been caught once. So even amongst some struggles to get on base, he’s showcased an elite ability to turn any time on base into a runner in scoring position for the top of the Saints lineup.  

He’s been adamant about picking a collegiate program next season that values his offense, and nobody who’s seen Gordon struggle a bit this summer is concerned about how he’ll hit in the spring. 

 He’s sure to get back to raking singles and running wild.  

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So, we’ve established that Gordon is and always has been a good contact hitter and a productive offensive player.  

But we also established that he hasn’t been exceptional at offense this summer. Most of the high-class baseball he’s played has been on the other side of the ball.  

Defense.  

Tyler Gordon is arguably the Saints’ best defender. And even if he isn’t, he’s certainly been the most exciting.  

Consider a play he made this past Saturday against the OC Riptide in Irvine in the Saints’ 7-3 victory. Playing second base for the night, Gordon ranged to his right to field a sharp ground ball up the middle, and then, seemingly all in one motion, leapt and unleashed a strong throw to first to nail the Riptide runner. That hit would have been a single if it was hit toward nearly all the other infielders in the CCL.  

But that’s just routine for Gordon. Plays diving to his glove side and his backhand, incredible range, improbably strong and accurate throws, and lots and lots and lots of those leaping heaves across the diamond.  

The jump throw has become perhaps Gordon’s signature play. When he makes it, which seems like once a game, you’re good to hear a few “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowd and even the occasional “that looked like Derek Jeter.”  

There’s a good reason for the Jeter parallels.  

“I always grew up watching Derek Jeter,” Gordon said. “I think that the way he played the game before he retired and how he went about his business is something that I try to model every single day.”  

He’s done his best impersonation of the 5-time gold glover defensively. If Jeter’s The Captain, Gordon’s looked like The Lieutenant. Young Tyler would be proud.  

But despite the power of dreams, one cannot simply become like their idol just because they want to.  The reality is that Gordon has worked tirelessly to be able to play defense at the level he operates now.  

Gordon’s work ethic and love for continuing to learn the game of baseball is what has made him stand apart to his fielding coach Stan Grebeck, who has been the fielding coach for guys who have gone on to be Major League Baseball players.  

“Tyler’s a very hardworking kid, and he’s great as a teammate also,” Grebeck said. “And he’s a student of the game. All of those things really make him become a really good player and get the most out of his ability.  

Specifically, the two have been working on Gordon’s arm strength, which is a huge factor in being able to make those Jeter-esque tosses.  

“I can confidently say that over the past few years my arm has gotten a lot stronger and its the strongest its ever been lately,” Gordon said.  

Grebeck also mentioned that Gordon has taken practice with some of those major leaguers, including former Los Angeles Angels infielder and current Atlanta Braves minor leaguer David Fletcher, Tommy La Stella (another former Angel), and Los Angeles Dodgers minor leaguer Alan Trejo.  

Apparently, Gordon did more than just fit right in with those elite guys.  

“He was really, really good out there,” Grebeck said. “It looked like he not only belonged, but he had a better day than some of the big leaguers did and some of the minor leaguers did. I think that’s a big day that shot him up confidence wise.”  

Gordon’s looked every bit like a confident middle infielder all season long, and that confidence is infectious to teammates and coaches.  

Despite his aforementioned struggles at the plate, Gordon played in 18 of the Saints’ final 21 contests. He likely would have been in the lineup at that rate all season long had he not been dealing with some early season injuries.  

Consistent opportunities have meant a lot to Gordon.  

“It shows that [the coaches] have a lot of trust in me on defense,” Gordon said.  

The Saints pitching staff loves to have Gordon behind them as well.  

“In the fall, he’d always be behind me, and he’d always be in the lineup with me, so having that familiar face behind you on defense makes you feel a lot more comfortable,” said Saints pitcher Ahmad Harajli after the Saints’ 9-1 win over the Barons this past Friday. Harajli was teammates with Gordon at Miami Ohio this past season, and Gordon’s name in the lineup was obviously a welcome sight given what Harajli has seen him do defensively for over a year now. 

As can be seen, Gordon’s confidence exists because of mutual trust between teammates and coaches. But, that attitude also comes from a positive mindset he’s able to maintain because of his Christian faith.  

“Before the game, I always say a prayer and then I read a Bible verse,” Gordon said. “Lately it’s been Psalms. I just move on to the next verse every single day before the game to wrap my mind around how thankful I am to be able to still play this game at 20 years old.”  

His appreciation for the opportunity he has shines through every time he makes an incredible play that looks effortless but took years of work that he wouldn’t have undertaken if he didn’t love it.  

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After the Saints season, Gordon will move on to his next big opportunity: playing back in Southern California. 

Gordon entered the transfer portal this summer for many reasons, but one big one: the Orange, CA wants to be close to home.  

“My family’s super big in my life, especially my mom, my dad, my grandparents and my sister,” Gordon said. “They always come to a lot of my [Saints] games and it’s been kind of nice when they’re there sitting in the stands instead of just one time the whole year like at Miami.”  

Gordon specifically singled out his dad for all the sacrifice the elder Gordon has made to help his son become a better baseball player. 

“I definitely want to shout out my dad, he’s helped me a lot through fielding and everything,” Gordon said. “Waking up on those early mornings and getting to the field before other teams get there just so I can get my ground balls and then we can leave and go eat breakfast. Just so I can get my reps in on those Saturdays when I was younger.”  

That’s really the story of Tyler Gordon. From Derek Jeter to Stan Grebeck to his own dad, others have paved the way and set a great example. But its Gordon’s own unwavering passion for baseball that has enabled him to run full speed down that path.  

So make sure you don’t miss The Lieutenant doing what he does best in 2025.  

Because if you truly love baseball like him, you’re bound to be one of his biggest fans.

Contributors:

• Saints reporter Ethan Inman (Southern California)
• Saints graphic designer Yandel Salas (Chapman)