Homewood Teen, HFHS Ballplayer Impresses At Power Showcase

HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR, IL — A Homewood native continues to make a name for himself on the baseball diamond, adding another accomplishment to his highlight reel.

Last month, Homewood’s Jhames “Hurtcules” Holley III participated in the 15th Annual World Power Showcase in Miami, Florida. He received his invitation in April 2022, after hitting a 385-ft. home run during a 13U tournament in Joliet versus a Chicago White Sox ACE team and with the recommendation of a coach.

This exclusive invite came from the CEO of the showcase Brian Domenico, by way of a package in the mail and a phone call. Jhames represented the state of Illinois at the 14U level in the game and at the 13U level in the home run derby.

In the showcase, Jhames was able to display his skills for MLB scouts on the field at Miami Marlins stadium, LoanDepot Park. Over 20 scouts could be seen evaluating the players, and Jhames spoke with Chicago Cubs scout Matt Morales. The first day culminated in a welcome dinner, which took on the feel of an MLB Draft Day. Players and their families dressed up, dined at the Marlins’ stadium, and heard their names called to come forward and receive their uniform jersey, his father James Holley told Patch.

A maximum of 40 players total for each age group, from the 50 states and other countries, fill the slots at the event. In the home run derby Jhames hit four, but he saved his best plays for the Babe Ruth Classic on his last day of competition, Holley said.

The classic is a 15 and under game that was broadcast on the Tampa Live Stream channel. He had two hits in four at bats. The most impressive one was a blast to the right field wall (of an MLB field) for an RBI triple against an 11th grader pitching, his father told Patch He also met MLB star Jazz Chisholm Jr. who stopped by the teams’ dugouts during the game. This was a fitting closing to a wonderful showing in Miami against some of the best players in the world.

His coach for the event was Coach Gary Mendoza, of Southern California.

“Jhames moves surprisingly well for his size," Mendoza said. "He’s a great ball player and sky’s the limit.”

Jhames said he was grateful for the opportunity to play at that level.

“It felt good to play here," he said. "I’m glad to meet these teammates, because these are some amazing player. ... I’m thankful for my parents for bringing me on this trip, and I had a good time.”

Jhames maintains academic excellence as an honors student at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, plays three instruments in the band, and participated in choir and theatre at James Hart Middle School. He is currently involved in the Top Tier baseball organization (McCook, IL) along with his younger brother Matthew.

To learn more about the POWER SHOWCASE or dates and the official selection process, visit register.powershowcase.com.